Dinoboy Chronicles
by NKfloofiepoof
Summary: G1 AU Teenage Dinobots. Oh, the horrors. AU where the Dinobots originated on another planet. Red flags for sticky - full explanation inside. Cowritten with OKami hu
1. Glossary of Terms

First, a note from OKami (the first story follows):

And so start the "Dinoboy Chronicles", the prequel of the Sparklight Arc. The story will follow a pack of young Dinobots through their 'teenage' days until they mature into proud, fearless warriors, and an unstoppable team; and, a group not unlike a family.

Attentive readers will surely catch hints about the faraway past of the Dinobots and the other animal-alt mechs on this jungle planet. Since this is an AU, where we can use our creativity to its smutty fullest, there WILL be lotsa' sticky; and it has explanations. Therefore, to not get lost on the Dinoboy vocabulary, you might want to check the glossary below before or after reading.

Have fun.

**Spike** – mech equivalent of the male reproduction organ. It's a flexible attachment with ridges on it, tapering toward the tip, with a circular opening on its end. It is located on the front of the pelvis, in the upper opening.

A mech can unsheath it at will, though younger specimen usually do it involuntarily. It channels the energon/nanite concoction produced by the mech.

Not all mechs have spikes; sometimes, a specimen is only equipped with a –_valve_. Such a Transformer is sometimes referred to as a femme.

**Well (valve) **– mech equivalent of the female reproduction organ. A flexible tube located below the spike's opening. It leads up to the –_life holder_'s opening. It has a high number of sensors on its surface.

**Life holder** – mech equivalent of the organic womb. Located in the abdominal cavity, it forms an orb, which is somewhat flattened on one side. There is always some transmetal fluid in it, produced by the mech's body. When the fluid mixes with another mech's nanites, and is subjected to strong spark energy (a new spark), the nanites, using the transmetal fluid and the energon, start to reproduce themselves and begin building the new Transformer body, starting with the spark chamber.

The process usually lasts for 5 to 10 Earth solar years, the time period varying according to the offspring's size, which depends on the size of the creator's life holder. (Twin bearings are completely unheard of.)

The 'birthing process' usually requires a healer's help, as the abdominal plating has to be removed. Beneath it, the heavily protected –_life holder_ has three locks keeping it shut. Naturally, they snap while the offspring struggles to get out, but at certain places, they are cut open, to spare the _Bearer_ the pain. If the abdominal plating is not removed by the time all three locks snap, the offspring might die, using up its energy by the struggle.

**Panel, panel locks** – The protective panel covering the –_spike_'s hole and the –_valve_; this prevents any foreign matter to get inside the sensitive organs. The locks need to be broken in order to allow a mech to mate. Once broken, the body reforms the locks, and they will keep the panel shut, but they can be released by will, or simply by outside stimulation.

**Call, the** - mech equivalent to a heat cycle in animals; many times throughout a mech or femme's life (how often varies individually), the body prepares itself for reproduction and sends out an individually distinctive radio signal, "calling" to all other mechs nearby in the same way an animal's scent lures suitors; the signal can be heard for a great distance and generally lasts 1-2 orns or until the Calling mech/femme is satisfied; the Calling mech/femme's spark is more easily coaxed out of its casing to bond with its suitor in this state and often does so on its own without prompting - because of this, conception is only possible during the –_Call_.

**Creator** - mech equivalent of parents; refers to both the sire and the bearer

**Bearer** - mech equivalent of a mother; the one who developed and carried the offspring and always the one who initially sent out the –_Call_

**Sire** - mech equivalent of a father; the one who answered the –_Call_ and the maker of the majority of the nanites which build the offspring's body inside the –_Bearer_

**Heir** - the offspring of the –_Sire_ and –_Bearer_. Refers to mechs and femmes alike.

-more TBA-


	2. Sacred Song

The brother Moons were high on the sky, their pale blue light illuminating the clearing in the middle of the small settlement. It would have been enough to the sensitive eyes, but tonight was special. Tonight required a celebration.

The metallic pounding of the drums filled the air, the sound vibrating with anticipation. It mingled with a low, monotonous humming, an ancient song accompanying the rituals since millennia. Long torches flickered, lighting the clearing in front of the chief's cave; their dancing light painted menacing shadows over faces and armor, heightening the already intimidating, savage appearances.

Around, the jungle was alive with organic and metallic life alike. Trees rustled in the light night breeze, and nocturnal creatures stopped briefly in their hunt and stared at the tribe members kneeling in a wide circle, waiting. Huge fireflies danced around the torch flames in a daze along with gem-winged butterflies and other insects – they didn't bother the audience, not the slightest. They were not originally part of this world; their ancestors came here and stayed though not by their free will – however, this knowledge was lost in time, along with so many other things. Nevertheless, the descendants retained the will to live, the instincts, and the common sense, and they continued to thrive on this planet which suited their needs and handled them equally with its own creatures.

Blue, red, and amber optics fixed on the dark entrance as one of the drummers began to sing. It was a call to the gods and to the master of the ceremony – the time has come to initiate another warrior, another proud, full member of the tribe. The rhythm became faster, the song soared, louder and more high-pitched, until it died with a shuddering shriek.

And Landslide, the Dinobot tribe's fearsome but fair leader finally stepped forward from the shadowed entrance of his lair.

He was greeted with a respectful silence, the optics of his tribe members unwavering as they watched him emerge. This was not the first of these rituals nor would it be the last, but all the same, this night was special. The new warrior coming of age was none other than Landslide's only heir, and he stood at the center of the circle of Dinobots, his back straight and his head held high. He had been anticipating this night for a long time.

The young one had to greatly resist the urge to growl as silence was not something he was usually comfortable with, but he forced himself to remain quiet. He had witnessed this ritual once before and knew better even if it was progressing far too slowly for his liking. Still, he was not known for his patience, and Grimlock's visor glowed just a little brighter to show it as his sire came closer. They were nearly a mirror image though Landslide was darker in color than his heir, and his visor shined brilliant blue rather than Grimlock's crimson. Their similarity was nearly astonishing even down to the plating which made up their faces - the mark of a leader. Landslide held high hopes for a bright future for his offspring.

Grimlock still had a way to go though. After tonight, he would be considered a warrior. He was not yet fully grown, but it was doubtless his lanky form would fill out soon - he was already a little taller than his sire, and the ritual of his coming of age was to bless him to finish growing into a large, powerful body fit for his destiny as a leader.

The young one's already limited patience finally worn thin, he could not resist letting a low, barely audible growl vibrate in his chest.

Landslide's visor flashed in amusement - the heir inherited his mate's temper, no doubt about it. Not that the chief was a coward or too careful, but the late Wildfire's powerful flames were blazing in Grimlock's spark brightly. Ignoring him for the time being, Landslide raised both arms and let out a loud roar which was answered by his tribe. Strong, beautiful warriors all, he was proud of them.

"This night," he began his speech, "Gods will grant us another hunter. Him Grimlock, heir of Landslide - heir of Chief - came of age. Tonight, him Grimlock has to prove he good warrior. And then, he'll be made grown up, real warrior. Panel will break to let him mate, have strong heirs, making tribe stronger. Him Grimlock will be true Dinobot!"

The tribe howled as one, cheering both the youngster and the Chief. Sunsong and Deepmoor resumed beating the drums made of fallen enemies' bodies. Landslide turned to his heir.

"Me Landslide, Chief of tribe challenge you Grimlock to fight! Make me Landslide yield and earn right to mate!" Usually, every young mech was challenged by his sire for a semi-mock duel - they really fought, but the sire was expected to lose anyway. In Grimlock's case, defeating Landslide had a double meaning - if somebody defeated the Chief, he was to become one instead of the fallen. This battle would both make him an adult and prove that he is the rightful heir of his sire's position and the Chief's cave.

Grimlock's answering roar was raspy, his vocalizer not yet fully matured and still incapable of thundering like his sire, but the young Dinobot tried his best as he did in everything. "Me Grimlock ready!" he declared proudly and balled his hands into fists. He had waited so long for this night, the excitement threatened to overcome him, but he was not about to let it. That would be embarrassing with the whole tribe watching.

The young Dinobot hunched down with his fists brought up in front of him, the wing-like chest pieces of his other form arcing high over his back to make himself look bigger and more menacing.

Landslide did the same. He assumed the proper stance and slowly began to circle, watching his offspring. He loved Grimlock with all his spark though that never made him go easy on the youngster - Landslide was a stern, strict creator but always just. He knew his heir would mature; he would slow down a little, and his temper would tame, and then, he would be an even better leader than his sire, perhaps. His strength, his passion to be the best, and his sense of duty made Landslide immensely proud of his offspring. He was beautiful too. Seeing his armor shine in the torchlight and his visor flicker with determination made the Chief's insides twist. That young body would feel perfect under his hands... Like a leader's should.

In fact, Grimlock already had some experience with leading - the tribe's youngsters followed him easily and respected him. Right now, they were sitting in the circle as well, full of anticipation like the adults. The breaking of the panel locks was a community ritual.

Impatient as always, Grimlock was the first to move. The young Dinobot leapt forward and swung one of his black fists at his sire. They had sparred like this many times before, but Grimlock's hardheaded nature and impatience had always robbed him of victory. He was determined not to fail this time, not with the whole tribe watching.

Landslide easily evaded, catching his son's fist with one hand. His foot lashed out as he pushed Grimlock back. He let out a low growl, the one he used to express his disapproval.

Grimlock snarled in return as he stumbled slightly, but he quickly regained his balance and lashed out with his other fist, using his determination to fuel his strength.

This time, the hit landed, and Landslide groaned in surprise - he hadn't been expecting this. Countering the attack, he aimed his fist at Grimlock's thinner abdominal armor.

Grimlock was too close to properly dodge the attack, but he managed to twist himself so his sire's fist hit his side rather than his vulnerable and sensitive abdomen. It hurt but not as much as it would have otherwise. With a growl, the younger Dinobot lashed out with his fist again, this time aiming for Landslide's chest.

The blow landed again but did not do much to slow the Chief down. Landslide loved to spar, but he was not going to make this easy for his beloved offspring. He danced back and crouched low, launching out with full speed to catch Grimlock by the waist and force him to the ground.

Oceanborn, Landslide's current mate glanced at her own heir, the slender Swoop. She could barely hide her smile at the sight - the youngster's blue optics were wide and alight with excitement. He took an interest in Grimlock ever since they came to the tribe; Oceanborn was sure that sooner or later the two would end up together.

Grimlock let out a startled bellow when he hit the ground and angrily kicked at his sire. That was a move Landslide had not used on him before, and while it angered him, it also excited him. It just gave him further assurance that he was getting stronger if Landslide had to improvise.

The Chief laughed and glanced at the audience as Berserk clapped and cheered for him. In response, the young Sludge let his voice out as well, "Come on! Fight Grimlock! You good – defeat Landslide!"

Swoop joined in. Sunsong and Deepmoor grinned and quickened the drum rhythm a little.

Grimlock used that distraction to his advantage and slammed his fist into Landslide's head before he jerked a knee up to try to dislodge his sire so he could get back to his feet.

That worked. The cheering intensified as Landslide rolled off his heir with a groan and stood crouched on the ground, shaking his head. The boy surely could pack a punch...

The young Dinobot pushed himself back to his feet, proud of himself for catching his sire off guard, but he knew better than to call it a victory just yet. While Landslide was still recovering, Grimlock rushed over to him and grabbed him by a panel on his back, straining hydraulics in his still growing arms to throw the older Dinobot. Grimlock knew he would regret that later as he heard a strained line snap in his shoulder, but as far as he was concerned, it was more than worth it.

The tribe members roared, Deepmoor's palms pounded the drum hard, and even Swoop jumped up. Landslide flailed, but that didn't really help - he was hurled through the air and almost landed on Tusk who managed to roll away at the last moment. The Chief roared and, ignoring his aching parts, got up quickly to get back to the circle. He'd be slagged if he didn't get a few other hits land on his heir's hard skull!

Grimlock slid himself into a more defensive stance, his left arm sluggish and heavy and dripping fluids onto the ground from the line he shredded in his shoulder. It hurt terribly, but he did not regret it. The approving roar of the tribe was worth the pain.

Landslide noticed that as well and he couldn't help the appreciating nod. Oceanborn would look at that later. He slowly got closer and punched first with left then with right hand; he knew Grimlock wouldn't be able to block both.

The young Dinobot snarled angrily but supposed he deserved that. He managed to block one of the punches and tried to take the other with his uninjured shoulder before he lunged forward with his shoulder in an attempt to muscle his sire to the ground again.

Landslide could have resisted that, but he decided to bring the fight to end. Grimlock was strong; he deserved his locks to be broken tonight. The Chief rolled with the punch, carefully landing so Grimlock was on top.

Once Landslide was down, Grimlock quickly got to his feet and planted a foot on his sire's chest. It was doubtful he realized he was allowed to win, and he would have been immensely angry if he had. Since he did not though, he let out another raspy roar of triumph once Landslide was pinned.

The tribe cheered, and the drums quieted. "Grimlock won! Grimlock won!"

"Let's break panel!" Berserk howled with delight. Landslide laughed and attempted to sit up, to declare the winner formally.

Grimlock removed his foot from Landslide's chest and reached down with his uninjured arm to help up his sire. His whole body vibrated as he growled happily, very proud of himself as well as greatly anticipating the next half of the ceremony. To finally win against his sire on the night his locks were broken was something he had not anticipated, but that just made this night all the more special.

The Chief let out another thundering roar to silence the tribe then spoke up. "Grimlock proved him warrior! Now it time to become one able to create as well! Gods see this, gods bless Grimlock, future leader of tribe!" With that, he sealed his heir's position. One day, he would lead this tough bunch, protect them, and lead glorious hunts.

Sunsong and Deepmoor began beating the drums anew, and Landslide turned to his offspring. "Don't move arm much," he said quietly. "Let me Landslide guide." The locks were broken during a sensual dance, and the Chief didn't want his heir to endure more pain than he should have, not this time. This was Grimlock's night.

Grimlock snorted at his sire's concern. That was rather contradictory - he just beat Landslide, yet he was being coddled? And on such an important night. "Me Grimlock strong," he declared. "It not hurt that much." The young one was nothing if not stubborn.

"Alllrrright," Landslide purred then raised his arms and started to move with the rhythm. All Dinobots could dance, and they did it a lot – before hunts, occasional wars, when new life was born, or a spark was extinguished, they danced and sang. It was one of the few things their ancestors left for them, one of the traditions to cherish and practice.

Landslide's massive body swayed in the flickering torchlight. His dark hands ghosted over his heir's frame, coaxing him into the dance too. It was another battle; the youngster was expected to stop the adult from touching his panel then eventually give up which was seldom an issue - Dinobots old enough to get their locks broken were not difficult to arouse.

Grimlock easily slid away from his sire's roving hands at first, his growl lowered to a purr of his own. This was it - his final initiation into adulthood. All the seemingly endless days of anticipation were proving to be well worth the wait. He moved with grace belying his large, gangly body and let Landslide guide him just a little, for once too excited to be too stubborn.

The rhythm was speeding up again, and the tribe members quieted. They watched the sight with shining optics - sire and heir both looked captivating as they danced. Landslide finally got his arms around Grimlock and placed his large hands on the abdominal plates. Hips swaying, his own panel grinding against his son's back, he let his fingers slide down until they rested above the panel between the legs. The Chief rubbed it slowly. When one was aroused, pain tended to register less.

The young one's purr elevated once more to a growl of anticipation. He had to greatly resist the urge to squirm against his sire. The feeling of Landslide's panel scraping against his back was very nice, and it did not take long for several of Grimlock's vents to hiss to life, cooling his already heating body.

The Chief pressed his mask to his son's neck and growled softly. He was heating up as well thanks to the lanky frame twisting under his hands... It indeed felt perfect. His fingers pressed down harder, mapping out the edges of the panel. For a few more seconds, he let himself enjoy the closeness, let his pride fill him, then with one quick move, he broke the locks.

Grimlock tensed and let out a snarl at the sharp pain, but he took it easily, using his throbbing shoulder as a distraction. As soon as the locks broke, his panel snapped open for the first time, and he hissed as the cool night air stung his overheated valve which was already beginning to grow slick.

Landslide shivered, and he traced the opening cautiously, feeling the wet energon gathering there. His free hand went to the lighter armor's seams - he knew some of his son's sweet spots since they had fooled around before. His own vents hummed louder too, betraying his aroused state. He suspected he would have to give up Grimlock to somebody else soon enough... But this night, under the guise of the ritual, his beautiful heir was his and his alone.

Grimlock's visor dimmed as his head rolled back of its own accord, his growl rolling from his body and into Landslide's. He could no longer resist squirming when the edge of his opening was touched, and he tried to push his hips into his sire's hand. He dreamed of this night for so long it was almost surreal and nearly impossible to believe it was finally happening.

The Chief responded with his own growl and slipped out from behind Grimlock, seizing the youngster's hips and pulling him closer. His own panel slid open, and he could feel his spike inside his body stir, wanting to be let out. He pushed his hips forward.

The young one snarled and eagerly rubbed his panel against his sire's, the hand of his working arm gripping Landslide's shoulder tightly. He no longer noticed the rest of the tribe watching the ritual - all he saw and wanted now was Landslide.

"Yesss..." the Chief hissed quietly and sank down on the ground, pulling Grimlock with him and maneuvering him into his lap. Landslide unsheathed his spike and groaned as the cool air touched it. He wanted to bury himself into that tight, hot valve which had never been invaded before... He knew it would feel great. "Closerrrr..." he growled softly.

Grimlock growled in return and pressed closer to Landslide, eagerly rubbing his hips against the older Dinobot's. He slid against his sire's spike to smear it with the energon dripping from his opening. He could hardly wait to have it inside him after waiting for it for so long.

And the Chief finally reached the end of his patience. His strong hands grabbed his offspring's aft, and he pulled him over his spike, barely managing to do it at a reasonable speed - after all, Landslide didn't want to cause him pain. He roared again as he was fully nestled inside - the young body held him tight and warm, almost like Wildfire's, but still differently. Landslide's visor flickered as he studied his heir.

Grimlock threw back his head and released his own roar as his body stiffened though not from pain. The feeling of his body being penetrated for the first time was exquisite, and that his sire was the one to do it just made it that much better. He knew it was supposed to feel good, but nothing could have prepared him for just _how_ good it felt.

The drums were pounding, and the torches flickered; some of the tribe stared in awe, some were shifting, getting into the mood, too... But for Landslide, they ceased to exist. He pulled Grimlock closer, and began to move, sliding in and out of the slippery valve. His vents roared, trying to cool him, and he could feel some parts of his body simply switching off as he headed toward the release.

Grimlock squirmed and tried to match Landslide's movements, his fingers trembling where they still gripped his sire's shoulder. Simply having the spike inside him was amazing enough, but the way it moved inside him was even more so, and like most young ones who had come of age, he could not endure the intense pleasure for long. His still stiff valve seemed to almost spasm as Grimlock thrashed in Landslide's lap when his first overload crashed down upon him, and his immature vocalizer strained to release another roar, static intermingled in the noise as the still developing component protested how much it had been used that night.

Landslide 's intakes hissed, and he quickened his pace to reach his own overload as well - he had good control over his body, so he wasn't far behind his heir, his spike trembling and releasing his seed in a powerful stream. His roar, on the other hand, was loud and clear.

And then, he just tried not to collapse from the wonderful shock. The forest was silent around, and the tribe watched, in an awed silence. Even the drums died. However, it only lasted for a few minutes. Deepmoor jumped up and howled, and the tribe followed his example, cheering the new, full-right member of the tribe.

Landslide gently pulled his heir closer so he could murmur into his audio receptor. "Me Landslide love you Grimlock. Remember that."

Grimlock, normally not one to ever show any form of weakness, could not help but sag against his sire just this once. Every circuit in his body tingled, and his systems threatened to shut down, the pain in his shoulder completely forgotten. He only vaguely heard the howls of the tribe, all his wavering attention focused on his sire's words. "Me Grimlock remember... Grimlock love you Landslide too."


	3. Proving Oneself

It was a fine day. The small tribe followed its usual routine – Landslide and Berserk went to hunt, Deepmoor and Sunsong left to the energon well nearby to make cubes and Tusk stayed with Oceanborn at the village. The Dino younglings were left alone, like every time the chores didn't need extra hands – they had a lot of time to grow, get stronger, faster, and practice their hunting skills.

There was five of them, all strong, promising heirs. They still had some growing to do, except for Swoop, who, despite being the eldest of the bunch, had the most delicate frame - but he was also the smartest, a healer on training, and he was the only one in the tribe, who possessed the ability to fly.

Sludge was the tallest, and maybe the strongest in the team, but also the slowest, both physically and mentally. Still, he was loved by all for his kind nature and his unshakeable loyalty to Grimlock, who was already leading them, even if Sludge was a bit older than him.

Snarl, the quiet, passive son of the tribe's Cubemaker, and the aggressive, almost reckless Slag, the youngest of the five made the little group complete. Sometimes, they even went to hunt together, following Grimlock's lead, and Swoop's advices. They formed an effective unit, and their creators were proud of them.

Grimlock was, by far, the loudest of the group. He was a braggart and rather obnoxious in his own way, not even hesitating to declare himself the leader of the young ones and not just because he was the tribe leader's heir, and he greatly anticipated the day he would leave the tribe and start his own - not because he did not like the current tribe though. Far from it. Grimlock adored his sire and looked up to him with great respect; he was simply a restless youngling eager for adventure and often rattled on about his "plans" for the future to anyone who would listen - and even those who would not.

In fact, that was what he was doing now.

"Me Grimlock ready," he declared with a huff. He still had quite a bit to go in his development, his armor still not yet completely filled out, but he was as tall as he was going to get, and if he grew in girth as well as he had in height, he was going to be a massive mech. "This best time to leave. Sun-time warm - good hunting. Grimlock ready to make pack."

And, there were things which simply refused to grow. Like the others' interest in leaving. Today, the little team did not seem any bit more excited about Grimlock's plans like any other time. Snarl was sprawled out on the sun, absorbing the warm rays, Sludge was watching a huge butterfly and Slag was munching on an energon stick. Those delicacies were easy to make if the mech found the right kind of substance – a denser kind of energon, which, when exposed to intense heat, hardened. Swoop was toying with one of his in-built healer tools - he was quite proud of them - and he watched Grimlock to pace, with definite - albeit not too obvious - interest.

Fortunately, as always, Grimlock either did not notice his companions' lack of interest or chose not to be affected by it. Instead, he continued, "Know good hunting ground too. Him Berserk take Grimlock there before. Us could go to sunrise - other side of hunting ground. Good land there." He nodded, pleased with the plan. It was skirting Predacon territory, but as long as they stayed low and did not draw attention to themselves, they should be able to avoid detection by the enemy.

Snarl eventually sat up and clicked. "We too young to make own pack," he declared with his usual realistic approach. He wasn't even too far from the truth. Slag snorted and nodded, gesturing with his energon stick. "Yeah. Him Landslide leave you Grimlock not make pack." He had some grudges against the chief's heir; Grimlock was able - and at times, very eager - to beat him.

Sludge didn't appear to be there, he still watched the butterfly. Swoop stretched a bit, glanced at Snarl, then Grimlock, and nodded. "New pack, big responsibility."

Grimlock growled at the lack of enthusiasm. How could they say that? He was the strongest of all of them - surely they knew he could protect them. "Me Grimlock not too little!" he countered heatedly. This was not the first occurrence of this argument nor would it likely be the last. "Grimlock ready!" He stomped one foot on the ground as if that made his claim true.

Swoop shook his head. "We not say you Grimlock little. But pack is difficult to have. Can you care for pack as leader should? Can you Grimlock feed pack, keep pack well?"

Slag straightened at that and snorted. "Me Slag need no leader to care! Me Slag care for self!" He let out a loud huff and punched Swoop in the arm. That, at least, gained the attention of his brother, and Sludge glared, ready to step in if Slag wanted to do more.

That drew Grimlock's attention as well, and he gave Slag a warning growl just before he favored Swoop with an offended glare. "Grimlock make pack - take care of pack!" he insisted. The argument rarely escalated this far before. He had full confidence in his ability, and it actually hurt that they so clearly did not feel the same. "Know good hunting ground - know good energon spots!" Grimlock added in an attempt to plead his case.

"Predacons know them, too," Snarl insisted, and he curled up a bit, giving a few involuntary clicks of distress. "We no match for them Predacons. Predacons eat young dinos."

Swoop rubbed his arm, and threw a glance at Snarl. Something was wrong with him... He wasn't usually like that. Silent and stoic, yes, but not a coward. Though, his caution was understandable; Predacons were vicious, strong and mean - there were always fights between the Dinos and them. Sparklings were easier to chew, and albeit the Dinobots hardly sank so low as to attack something that small and harmless, the Predacons hardly had any moral qualms about it.

Grimlock snarled angrily. He knew that - he knew places through the hunting grounds where the Predacons were very unlikely to find them, but obviously, none of them were willing to hear it. "Fine. Me Grimlock make pack without you cowards!" With that, he turned and stormed away, vents almost drowning out his growling as they tried to cool off the heat generated by his anger.

Sludge winced - he didn't like when one of his own were angry. Slag growled and stuffed the last of his stick into his mouth. He couldn't care less about Grimlock's aggravation.

Snarl laid back on the ground. "Now panel locks broke, him Grimlock think can kill them Predacons one hand." He shook his head and offlined his optics.

Swoop, on the other hand, was worried. He genuinely liked Grimlock, but he also knew him well, since they shared the Chief's cave - he was prone to do rash things once angered. Landslide always said, his heir took after his bearer, Landslide's previous mate, Wildfire... But, Wildfire eventually was ripped apart by Predacons. Swoop stoop up and hurried after his friend. He wanted to make sure he won't to anything stupid.

Grimlock headed straight for Landslide's cave. If he knew he was being followed, he did not show it. He would show them - he would fill up his fuel tanks and leave when the moons rose, and he would prove to them that he was strong enough to take care of them as well as himself.

"Grimlock! Wait for me Swoop...!" The slender flier saw that his friend was practically steaming, and he felt a little bad, too. After all, Grimlock indeed was strong; Landslide taught him himself, and even Sludge had to work if he wanted to keep Grimlock down. It's just... He was so stubborn, and such a sparkling sometimes...!

Grimlock growled loudly but forced himself to stop and turn just enough so he could give Swoop another glare. Had it been any of the others, he would have ignored them, but he liked Swoop - Swoop normally did not anger him so.

"What Swoop want?" Grimlock demanded once Swoop was close enough to hear him. "You Swoop not think Grimlock strong either."

The slender mech stopped a few steps away, and lowered his head a bit embarrassed. He folded his hands behind his back. "You Grimlock chief's heir..." he admitted, poking the dirt with his foot, "but leading difficult. Living alone hard... hunt for prey, keep together. I know it, been that way." There were effective, if they held together... IF they managed to hold together. Slag was a born rebel, Sludge needed things to be explained properly, and Snarl was sometimes about as responsive as a piece of rock. The adults could manage them fine... But Swoop had some doubts about Grimlock.

Grimlock turned to face him completely. "If you Swoop can do it, then me Grimlock can too. Grimlock stronger." He believed that with his very spark - if even Swoop could make it with little more than his makers, surely Grimlock could take care of a pack of perfectly capable younglings.

The young healer pouted a bit. He highly respected his parents, and what Grimlock said, sounded as belittling their efforts. "Me Swoop's creators took care of Swoop," he pointed out. "Him Thunder was good warrior... still got eaten by Predacons. Oceanborn knew she not strong enough, we came to Landslide's tribe. Dinos not strong enough alone. Tribe stronger. Landslide keeps tribe well-"

Maybe he wanted to continue, but Grimlock cut in. "Grimlock not need Landslide no more! Him send Grimlock away soon anyway - Grimlock save him trouble and go now!" A growl rolled in the younger Dinobot's chest. He had overheard his sire talking to Oceanborn the day after the ceremony to break the locks on Grimlock's panel - he had heard Landslide mention that Grimlock was nearly the age Landslide himself was when he started his own pack. Grimlock took it to mean he should leave and do the same.

Swoop resisted the urge to sigh. He heard the same talk - after all, they all lived together - and from his point of view, Landslide had no intention to send Grimlock away. After all, he made sure that everybody knows his heir will be the chief one day. But Grimlock was stubborn, and if he wanted to go, one could be sure that he will go. Swoop thought, it'd be better then to go together, than let his obstinate friend wander alone. He reached out, and placed a hand on Grimlock's arm. "You Grimlock strong and brave, me Swoop know that. Maybe..." he tilted his head to the side lightly, "prove others that? We make good pack. Just..." he trailed off. He couldn't hide that he was uneasy a little.

Anger finally began to lower to a faint simmer as Grimlock finally heard what he hoped was the beginnings of acceptance if not the encouragement he was hoping for. He tilted his head to the side and leaned forward just a little so he could look into Swoop's face searchingly. "Swoop come with Grimlock?" he asked, both dreading and expecting rejection.

"Me Swoop would like that..." He really did. It would be nice, to be alone with Grimlock, charming him away properly, spoil him rotten and getting spoiled in return... "But me Swoop not strong yet. Me Swoop just flies and heals... somewhat." Sometimes, when he fussed about it, Oceanborn always told his son, that healers are very important in a tribe. They could save warriors and help new life to see the daylight. However, even if it eased Swoop 's worries for a while, it didn't change the fact, that he was not born to battle. He was the smallest, the most slender, and if his wings were somehow disabled, he had the least chance against any Predacon. "Me Swoop afraid a bit."

The wing-like protrusions on Grimlock's back hiked up further as he insisted, "Grimlock protect! Me Grimlock strong - keep you Swoop safe!" Why would no one believe him when he said that? Even Landslide had complimented Grimlock's strength. The young Dinobot knew he was perfectly capable of protecting Swoop and anyone else who would join his pack, but no one else would believe him, and he hated that.

"Me Swoop know that. Me Swoop thank for that," The young flier smiled and pulled a bit closer. "You Grimlock prove us. Go to hunt, come back with prey. How about that?" Perhaps it'll buy them some time... Swoop knew it might not be an entirely bad idea to leave for a while - it'd teach them much. But he also knew that at least one of them had to be capable to hunt alone. The others never left without the adults, and though they have returned with prey the five of them caught together, it was not enough. If Grimlock can indeed make it, it'll be proof enough that he can care for his pack.

Grimlock rumbled in thought as he considered that suggestion. He did not quite see the point in going out and hunting when there was plenty of food, but he supposed it would have to be done if that was the only way to prove himself to them. Besides - it would not be hard. "Fine," he finally agreed. "Me Grimlock back soon." He then turned to change his course to head out of the village rather than his cavern home. He would show them he was not all talk.

Okay, that was about done... Now, the only thing Swoop had to do was hope and pray. If Grimlock returned with an impressive enough prey, that will be the glorious beginning of a new pack. If he didn't, and Landslide found out that his adopted heir sent him into termination... the young flier was not sure Oceanborn and his wings would save him from the tribe leader's wrath. "Grimlock!" he called after his departing friend, "Be careful! And smart - dead Dinobots very bad tribe leaders."

Grimlock snorted and puffed out his chest which he then tapped a fist against. "Grimlock show all," he declared proudly. "Me Grimlock good leader!" He nodded, confident in himself and his own strength, and his visor gave a small flash of thankfulness. He truly appreciated Swoop's confidence in him and for giving him this chance.

He was adorable when he did that. Swoop couldn't resist. With a small laugh, he quickly crossed the short distance between them, and gave his friend a quick hug. Grimlock's lanky frame was warm, and when he had the chance, the young healer really liked to curl up against him.

The younger Dinobot growled in surprise. It was not an uncommon occurrence for Swoop to latch onto him like that, but it usually happened when Grimlock was expecting it. "Swoop?" He reached up with one hand to touch the other Dinobot's shoulder, his visor flickering in a surprised blink.

"Don't get eaten!" Swoop practically commanded, rubbing Grimlock's waist plating. "You Grimlock die, Landslide will be pissed and eat me Swoop for sending Chief's heir to Pit... And we youngsters have no leader then." On a sudden impulse, he leaned forward, and pressed his lips against Grimlock's mask in a gentle kiss.

Grimlock growled again, and his vents hissed quietly in response to both Swoop's face against his as well as Swoop's smaller hands on his waist. He felt his spark leap in his chest before he replied, "Grimlock not get eaten - Grimlock strong!" He quickly leaned forward and nuzzled his face plate against Swoop's cheek, his growl lowering to a content purr. "Back soon - promise."

Swoop nodded to that, smiling happily, and after tracing his finger along the side of Grimlock's head, he took a step back. "See you Grimlock soon, then."

Grimlock nodded and stepped back before he turned to jog the rest of the way out of the village, unable to resist a few joyful hops along the way.

The young healer watched, giggling to himself quietly. He lifted his hand and rubbed his face where Grimlock nuzzled him - there was no point in denying, that it made him warm in the inside, body and spark as well. With a small sigh, he eventually turned to walk back to the others, and perhaps try to make them do something productive, while their future chief returns.


	4. Moving In

A faint breeze stirred the foliage overlooking the cliffs, and with it came a fine mist from the sea as waves splashed across the rocky shore. The jungle ended just before the cliffs dropped suddenly into the water, and at the very edge, the scent of jungle and ocean mingled together to form a mellow and quite relaxing combination of odors, intense flora softened by the crisp subtlety of the sea water, and the calming effect was heightened by the noise of the waves hitting the rocks.

It was perfect.

Grimlock carefully made his way down the steep slope of the cliff face. He had already slipped twice since his small pack found this location, and doing so again would ruin his good mood. It was one of the very few things he hated about their territory - he was simply not designed to traverse smooth, water-slickened rock with any form of ease, and Slag was going to earn himself a fist to his head if he laughed at Grimlock again for how cautious he had to be scaling the cliff.

He managed to make it halfway before his foot slipped and he slid on his feet the rest of the way down with a startled growl though he was able to prevent himself from landing on his face when he reached the bottom albeit with some embarrassing flailing which he quickly covered up by turning into a casual stretch while he scanned the rocky shore for any sign of his pack members to make sure no one saw that.

He was just about staring into Snarl's optics. Swoop and Sludge were too busy enjoying the perfect environment. The sea was a bliss for Sludge, who was much more agile in water than on the land, and the sky and kind wind currents meant the same for Swoop, who was finally able to test his abilities properly, pushing himself to the limits of his slender body just to return to the others exhausted but so happy like never before.

Fortunately, the resident young Cubemaker was smart enough to know, the cliffs were indeed hard to climb, and Grimlock's occasional tumbling didn't shake his confidence in their leader. He nodded to the young chief with a small yawn, and turned his face toward the warm rays of the sun, to absorb the heat and let his body turn it into pure energy.

Slag marched forward from their cave, stretching and growling contentedly. Apparently, he had just risen from his nap. He stopped for a while, watching Swoop perform a difficult aerial maneuver then dropped down next to Snarl, nudging him a bit. It was his turn to escort the Cubemaker to their energon-well.

Grimlock's wing-like projections on his back almost drooped at the realization that he was seen, but he forced them back up when Slag emerged from the cavern. He really did not want to have to beat a sense of respect into their youngest though he would if necessary. Slag seemed to derive much amusement from antagonizing their leader.

"Well safe," Grimlock announced. He had just made sure the territory surrounding their energon well was devoid of intruders - he was not about to send Snarl to collect without reassuring at least himself of that. If any intruders wished to harm any member of his pack, they had to go through him first.

Snarl bowed his head respectfully - sometimes, he could be really mature and on a certain, unique way, quite graceful. He stood up and brushed a hand lightly against Slag's arm, who snorted and struggled to his feet as well. A few drips of liquid energon were staining his chest, signaling that he had a little snack after his nap. It was not a surprise - he still had a bit to grow in size.

"Packs needs hunt," he announced - he was thinking about becoming a full-sized warrior as well. "All way, us had small prey, not enough to all. Me Slag wants better!"

Grimlock grunted at their youngest. He certainly understood that - he had only finally finished growing just before they found their new home. He was lanky and awkward no longer - he had filled out his frame and grew into a massive and rather intimidating warrior of which he knew his sire would be proud if he saw him now. Slag was still growing, and if his own sire was any indication, he would be enormous too.

"You Slag keep him Snarl safe, and us hunt at sun-up," the leader finally responded. A big hunt sounded rather thrilling after picking off such small prey for so long.

Slag's optics flared up with anticipation. He nodded firmly with a grin, then tugged at Snarl's shoulder-spike and began to march forward towards the cliffs.

Sludge finally decided to come out of the water, transforming into this bipedal form and approaching their leader. "We go hunt, soon?" He was thrilled by the news as well, even though he was not the best in such activities, due to his huge and somewhat clumsy body - but when the prey was once down, one could count on him to keep it there. Sludge could snap the neck of a tar-boar with bare hands.

Grimlock turned back to Sludge and nodded. "Sun-up," he answered. He knew Slag would do a good job keeping Snarl safe regardless of the possible reward of going on a hunt. "Not hunted in long time - big hunt just what us need to make this home."

Sludge smiled and nodded. "You Grimlock took us to good place. Water, sun and sky plenty for all, and energon, too. Me Sludge likes. Him Swoop likes too." He glanced up, where the healer was still practicing his skills, occasionally crying out in delight.

Grimlock raised his crimson gaze to watch Swoop as well. He was indeed quite proud of himself for finding such a wonderful area even if the cliffs were troublesome to traverse. He did not enjoy the water the way Sludge did, but he was not immune to the delight of basking in the sun on the warm rocks. It was amazing the territory was unclaimed before they found it.

"This good place," he agreed. "Us stay long time." He certainly would not mind staying for a very long time - long enough to make their pack bigger, possibly even a full-fledged tribe.

"You Grimlock not miss Landslide...?"

That brought his attention back to Sludge, and his visor flickered in a surprised blink. He rumbled thoughtfully and tilted his head to one side before he admitted, "A little. Miss hunting with. Miss Oceanborn." He rolled one shoulder as a half shrug and looked out at the ocean. "Maybe go back someday...but not to stay." Grimlock looked back to Sludge and hesitated, uncertain if he should ask what he wanted to for fear it would make him seem like a weaker leader. He knew though that Sludge would not judge him - not the way Slag would. "Think him...be proud of Grimlock?"

Sludge's smile widened, but there was not a hint of mocking in it. He tilted his head to the side a little, and reached out to gently tap his fingers against Grimlock's chest. "Me Sludge think him Landslide misses you Grimlock. But him Landslide also proud. Him Landslide Chief, you Grimlock Chief, too, just like Landslide wanted." He paused for a little bit and lowered his gaze, his faceplates heating up a bit. "Me Sludge proud, too... Proud to be in Grimlock's pack."

Grimlock strengthened his shoulders, and his "wings" perked up visibly as a loud purr started rolling from deep in his chest. He knew that was the truth - Sludge did not lie. He probably did not know how. "Me Grimlock glad. Not want to make pack with any others." True, it was probably simply because he grew up with his pack members, but he truly would not have had anyone else as his beginning members. They worked perfectly together and looked after one another like family.

"Us will stay long then," Sludge nodded, still quite fixated on the round pebbles under their feet. "Slag will grow, us will hunt, and... and... become more...? You Grimlock want make pack bigger, r-right...?" He felt his core temperature rising like every time lately when he was near their young, beautiful leader. Something was tugging on his spark, and, actually, Sludge had an idea, what.

Grimlock nodded and placed his massive fists on his hips. "Make big pack someday," he confirmed. He very much looked forward to making their small pack bigger and into a full tribe. He had not anticipated finding the perfect territory so soon after leaving Landslide's tribe, but as far as he was concerned, it could not get much better than this. The energon well so nearby combined with the abundance of prey and the large cave in the cliffside for shelter all made their home perfect for raising heirs of which he hoped to have many.

Sludge's vents hummed up. "And... you Grimlock... to make bigger pack..." He couldn't continue. He was so afraid he'll be downright refused, that the words got stuck in his vocalizer. Why was it so hard...?

Both to his relief and slight annoyance, Swoop choose this moment to finally finish his aerial acrobatics, and land gracefully next to them. "Grimlock looked around at well? Is place safe?" he questioned. The air around him was trembling slightly from the inside heat, and his vents were humming loudly.

Grimlock, while quite adept at keeping his pack safe and protected, was totally oblivious when it came to some things - his pack members' moods was one of them. Despite how flustered Sludge was becoming, Grimlock turned to Swoop, pleased to see the oldest of their pack had enjoyed himself so much. "Well safe," the leader answered with a nod. "Him Slag took him Snarl to gather. Us go on big hunt sun-up. Slag still growing."

Swoop clapped his hands. "Hunt good! Me Swoop will go seek prey and lead hunters. Healers need material. Pack needs to have supplies, so me Swoop can heal you all." He flashed a bright smile at Grimlock. "Cave good, me Swoop likes here. Us hunt first then us have to make things, stack cubes. Sludge will help?"

Despite being generally slow and clumsy, the young warrior wasn't all that bad with making tools, or nets and ropes, things the Dinobots used in their everyday work. He nodded in agreement and let his intakes suck some air in to cool his insides... Today was not his day, either. Sometimes it felt like none of the days was.

Grimlock nodded, growing more and more excited about the day to come. It was going to be a very busy day at this rate, but he would not have it any other way. "Make something to carry cubes?" he offered with a tilt of his head. "Then him Snarl not have to go to well so much." The constant traversing of the cliff face was so tricky and tiring, Grimlock would have liked to make it easier on Snarl even though the other Dinobot never complained.

Swoop nodded. "Us have to climb too much- maybe us can make it easier. Carving holes into stone for hands and feet can work. And long rope for net with cubes on top; one can let them down for rest and when net empty, pull it back up." The young healer had an affinity for planning, thinking up useful things.

Grimlock's visor brightened - climbing. He was good at that. Not as good as Slag, but it sounded far more appealing than sliding on his aft every time he came down from the jungle. "That sound good. Swoop lucky - can just fly to top and back down. Us do that after hunt and making things?"

"If some left from day," Swoop agreed. "After eating, him Slag will surely nap and sun is high, air is warm, best is sleep then. When dark, us cannot bash rocks. But us have time. Making cave home will take many days. You Grimlock have no good bed, big cave missing fire's place, too. Cubes need storage to keep them cool as well." Despite all the work, he was looking forward to it - probably, Oceanborn spent much time with him before, teaching him how a good home had to look like. Sometimes, Swoop took more after those Dinobots, who had no spikes.

"Lots of work," Grimlock stated needlessly. He was looking forward to it as well. Putting forth that much time and effort meant that they really were going to stay here for a long time. He was so glad everyone liked the area. "Me Grimlock excited. You Sludge excited too?" He suddenly turned back to the other Dinobot. Grimlock was quite looking forward to working alongside Sludge. He liked watching Sludge use every micron of his strength, which surpassed all of the rest of them, and there were few occasions, which warranted that.

The tall youngster nodded. Oh, if Grimlock had only known how excited he was... And how nervous, and unhappy, and embarrassed. Well at least, he'll have something to do - And Sludge was sure that he'll be able to do it well. He liked digging, and liked to stare into the fire - the dancing flames often lulled him into sleep.

Grimlock looked back to Swoop and only just then noticed how much the smaller Dinobot's vents were working to cool him. "You Swoop tired - should go rest," he stated with a nod. He was going to wait outside until Slag and Snarl returned, but as tired as Swoop seemed to be, Grimlock thought it might be best for him to go rest up in preparation for all of the work to be done the next day.

The healer nodded, and patted both mechs on the shoulder. "Wait for them Snarl and Slag, then come to sleep, too. Tomorrow long day, much to do." With that, he headed toward the cave's entrance, to curl up in his corner and switch into recharge. Actually... He didn't count on the other two coming back anytime soon... He was a much better observer than his beloved leader, he had noticed how Sludge was looking at Grimlock before. Still, he didn't feel that his desired position was threatened - it was not something to disturb his rest.

The sun was already heading down on the azure sky, to sink below the horizon. One of the moons was visible on the far west, the air cooled down, and the sea's murmur intensified somewhat.

Grimlock folded his hands behind his back and shut down his visor for a moment so he could listen to the sea and let a low purr of his own join its call, feeling more content than he had been in a long time. He had his own territory and a pack made of his closest friends from his time as a youngling - it really could not get much better than this.

"Rrrrr...me Grimlock can't wait to make pack bigger," he murmured mostly to himself. Of course, he knew he should since they still had so much work to do, but he doubted he would be content waiting too long and hoped the others felt the same.

Mm, this was maybe not the best time to initiate something... Sludge knew that if the other two returned and caught them, his brother would throw a fit. Now, Slag was a pain in the aft sometimes with his aggression and rude comments, but they were still brothers. But the sundown was so pretty, and the coast was so peaceful, and... Grimlock was so captivating, as the dieing sun's rays bounced off his armor. He had grown up to be a perfect warrior, and Sludge's spark ached from all the beauty displayed before him. He still couldn't voice his feelings, he didn't dare, but his body acted on its own and heated up, the vents humming. What would it be like... to be touched by those dark hands...?

At the sound of Sludge's vents hissing to life, Grimlock's visor came back online just before he asked, "You Sludge tired too? Was swimming lots." He turned to look at his pack member. Swoop was certainly a sight in the air, but Sludge was a different sight altogether when he was in the water. He looked like he belonged there. "Have fun?"

Sludge nodded eagerly. He couldn't deny that he liked the attention. "Water nice... Me Sludge feels lighter in it. Me Sludge had seen pretty fishes, all glowy and quick, different from those in rivers. But me Sludge not tired..." He shifted closer. "Me Sludge gladly stay here... help with hunting, digging, taking care of pack."

"You Sludge look nice in water," Grimlock was not afraid to admit. "Like you Sludge belongs. Never seen before." The rivers back in Landslide's territory were too shallow to really enjoy watching Sludge in his element so to speak.

The vents of the tall youngling promptly spat steam into the cooling air. Grimlock was telling him he looked good! That was beyond Sludge's wildest dreams. "M-me Sludge t-thanks... You Grimlock... l-look good when hunting, f-fighting... Back that night panel locks broke, you Grimlock looked..." he had to let his intakes suck in another dose of cool air. "You G-Grimlock looked like real leader."

This time, Grimlock's vents were the ones to start humming. That night was one of his fondest memories of Landslide, one of his fondest memories of all - the night he ceased being a youngling and became a warrior, and to receive such a compliment on how he looked then was a great treat. Grimlock raised a hand to touch the side of Sludge's face and purred at him. "Me Grimlock thank you Sludge."

Sludge clicked, like a sparkling and leaned into the touch. His body was hot by now, his insides stirring, his spark twisting... He already knew this feeling but ever since he became a warrior, he haven't yet put his spike to use. It was stirring now beneath the protective panel, wanting to get out, to dive into another's sweet heat... It was almost scary. The young warrior let out a soft growl, and timidly reached for Grimlock's hand. "Y-you Grimlock... good leader."

It finally clicked, and Grimlock's visor flickered again in surprise when he felt the heat rolling off the other Dinobot, vibration from Sludge's systems going over Grimlock's hand. He remembered enduring much the same feelings the night his panel locks were broken, but he had to admit this was rather sudden. Then again, he also went through it several times before when Swoop's presence got to him though he had kept it to himself.

Testing, Grimlock cupped the side of Sludge's face with his hand and smoothed his thumb over the other Dinobot's facial plating. If he was wrong, better to find that out now than later. "Sludge?"

The young mech was trembling, his processors reeling, trying to find courage to say the words... Grimlock won't hurt him, won't hate him, he was sure, but oh, by the Great God Primus it was so hard! Sludge moved a tiny bit closer, curled his fingers around Grimlock's hand, and opened his mouth... His vents were howling by now, and he couldn't stand the crimson gaze any longer. He bowed his head low and barely audibly, he finally forced the confession out. "M-me Sludge... l-like you Grimlock...!"

Okay, he was right. Even if Sludge had not finally said it, his behavior was all the proof Grimlock needed. "Me Grimlock like you Sludge too," he replied. It was true - he truly cared for all of his pack members, and Sludge and Swoop were both his favorites.

Slowly, Sludge looked up. Umm... Oookay, this went rather well... "Y-you Grimlock do...?" He ran his hand absent-mindedly down on Grimlock's arm, caressing it lightly.

Grimlock nodded and leaned forward to touch his face mask to Sludge's forehead as if that might prove he was sincere. "Me Grimlock like you Sludge," he repeated. "Sludge pretty in water. Sludge nice too. Make good bearer some day."

Sludge's spike and well both quivered at the last compliment - in Dinobot society, bearing new life was a greatly respected role, and the best warriors were even more admired when they let their bodies carry an offspring. Dinobots knew, that great warriors bear great heirs.

Moreover, Grimlock, even though not directly, but claimed Sludge as his future consort. That was something really awesome...!

However, in this moment, they both picked up the telltale sounds of metal screeching against stone - Slag and Snarl returned. Sludge immediately stepped back, hoping that they won't notice anything... Not that he was afraid of mocking.  
Slag roared to them when he noticed the pair. "Come here and help us! Cubes not like be dropped!"

Grimlock reluctantly pulled his hand away from Sludge's face. Slag never ceased to have horrible timing. "Rrrr...drop and we not go hunting!" he barked at the youngest Dinobot. He glanced back to Sludge and touched his face mask to his forehead again before he finally turned to go help Slag and Snarl with their load. It would not do for them to drop the volatile cubes. Swoop's idea was looking more and more appealing.

With some effective teamwork, the five cubes were safely delivered to the ground in a short time. Snarl looked a bit exhausted - he never had to exercise his cubemaking ability before, when they lived with the adults. Also, even though he was rather passive, he was also a keen observer; he sensed, that Grimlock and Sludge have something to discuss. He picked up two cubes, and nudged Slag. "Cubes need to placed away. Help me Snarl and then sleep, save strength for hunt."

"You Snarl not command me Slag!" the youngest warrior growled, but he couldn't really argue with the logic. He took the remaining three containers and followed his comrade.

Grimlock huffed at Slag's defiance and repeated Snarl's command, "Help him Snarl then rest if you Slag want to hunt at sun-up." He could gripe at Snarl all he wanted, but he had better listen to Grimlock. "Us have lots of work to do. Him Swoop has good ideas to make easier." The Dinobot leader crossed his arms over his large chest and left it at that, almost daring Slag to defy him too.

It earned him a dirty look; a flash of the red optics in the rapidly descending darkness. "Yeah, yeah. You not coming, big leader? Hunt troublesome, mechs need energy to get prey..."

"Me Grimlock be in soon," was all Grimlock said in response as he made a "shoo"ing motion with one hand. "And be quiet - him Swoop resting already."

Snarl nodded, Slag growled, and they were off soon, carrying their precious load to the inside of the cave.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms hooked around Grimlock's waist, holding him tight against a warm body, and Sludge nuzzled the young leader's head. He cooled down somewhat during the task, but he didn't forget where they had been - and if nothing else, he wanted to thank Grimlock properly for the declaration and the promise.

Grimlock let out a small noise of startlement, but it quickly devolved to a content purr which he let roll through his body and into Sludge's as he reached down to touch the other Dinobot's hands. He had not forgotten where they were either, and Sludge's warmth was very nice.

The close contact did wonders, and soon, Sludge was trembling again, insides tense with anticipation. Maybe... just maybe, he could get his way with the leader...? He brushed his lips against Grimlock's audio sensors, whispering into them. "You Grimlock fine warrior, big and strong... feel good against me. Me Sludge all warm inside and feel funny."

Grimlock's visor flickered a few times before it fell offline, and he unconsciously allowed his head to roll back slightly. That was a weakness of his - few things made his systems heat up like words whispered into his audios. Sludge could be muttering utter nonsense, and it would still have the same effect on Grimlock. "You Sludge...feel nice too," he purred in response over the hissing of his own vents.

The next thing he felt was the other's panel grinding against his backside, not unlike that glorious night, when Landslide made him a true warrior. Sludge groaned, his spike and well aching on an interesting, nice way... He could even feel the lubricant energon trickling down the inside of his thighs.

When Sludge ground against him, Grimlock's legs began to tremble as his own well and spike stirred deep inside him, and it was all he could do to prevent his panel from snapping open immediately when Sludge groaned into his audio receptor. Lubricant energon splashed against his panel as his purr intensified, rumbling louder and vibrating harder through his body.

The other mech couldn't take it anymore. He was heated, aroused, more than ready… Sludge carefully turned his young leader, to press his panel against his – he almost jerked away, from the heat, from the electrifying touch…. Mm, so Grimlock wanted this, too. "You Grimlock… mated before?" he asked quietly. Despite being older that the Chief's heir, Sludge had no experience with the act – he could have asked his parents, but somehow, he was not interested in it. Until now, of course.

Grimlock turned around easily though it took him a moment to respond to Sludge's question with a slow shake of his head, the heat from the other Dinobot's panel making it difficult for him to think. He had not truly mated before - the night his panel locks were broken did not count. That was something all younglings went through with the tribe's chief as part of the ritual to celebrate their coming of age.

The other mech's vents hissed up sharply. Oh... Actually, he didn't count on that answer. But he had to ask... If the answer was negative, he'll try to coax Snarl to help him out. Sludge leaned closer, his tone quiet and almost pleading as he spoke up. "Y-you Grimlock... want to mate Sludge...?"

Grimlock reluctantly flickered his visor back online so he could favor Sludge with an exasperated glare as his vents hummed with the other Dinobot's. Sludge got him all worked up, and now he asks that? His answer was the sharp clicking noise of his panel sliding open which Grimlock then leaned forward to grind against Sludge's, one hand lifting to grip the other Dinobot's hip to pull him closer as he purred, "You Sludge not waste time asking dumb questions."

Wow... that really felt like... having a Chief! The tall youngster obeyed immediately by opening his panel as well and moving forward - oh, the heat, the wetness was so exciting...! - and his large hands began to roam on Grimlock's armor, trying to find sensitive spots. "M-me not mated either... Fooled with Berserk and Tusk after panel broke... but not mated. Me Sludge... glad Grimlock's first." He placed a soft kiss on the young leader's mask.

Grimlock's purr intensified when Sludge's hands found the delicate joints of his "wings", and the protrusions twitched in response. He ground his panel harder against Sludge's then gave his hips a sharp tug downwards so they could sit on the rocks, lubricant energon dripping onto the ground from between his legs.

Blue optics fixed on the faintly shimmering liquid, then a cautious hand began to quest between Grimlock's legs. Sludge eased a finger into the valve first, shuddering from excitement as he felt how slippery it was. Young Dinobots usually had problems controlling their reproduction parts, they started to lubricate easily and a lot. But, it was not what Sludge wanted - he moved upwards, for the spike's hiding place, trying to lure it forth.

Grimlock's legs began to shake again, and he pushed eagerly into Sludge's hand, reaching down with one hand to mimic the attention. He slipped one finger into Sludge's valve as his own spike twisted inside him before it snapped out with a growl from Grimlock. The air was uncomfortably cool against the heated metal, and it took a little more concentration that he would have liked to keep it from retracting itself back into his much warmer body.

Sludge moaned softly and pressed himself closer - the air had indeed cooled down, and he knew it didn't feel too nice - his valve was too heated, and the air chilled it. The young warrior placed one hand on Grimlock's shoulder to steady himself, then cautiously took the young chief's spike into the other and after giving it a few gentle tugs, thumb tracing the ridges on it carefully, he guided it inside his dripping well.

Grimlock growled sharply and arched into Sludge's wonderful warmth, gripping the other Dinobot's hips tightly. So this was what Landslide felt every time he broke another youngling's locks. Grimlock knew it felt good to bury one's spike into another's well, but he never imagined just how good it would feel. He seemed to fit perfectly inside Sludge, and his spike gave a little shudder of its own in delight.

It was answered by a quiver of the flexible walls around him; and Sludge pushed forward with a short, soft cry, practically climbing into Grimlock's lap. He clung to the other's broad shoulders, vents and intakes working overtime; it just felt so good, too good, almost too much. And, it was Grimlock, the strong, beautiful mech Sludge had his optics on since a while. It was perfect. He suspected it won't last long - systems not used to the stimulation, the rapidly rising inner energy tended to overload them sooner than a more experienced warrior's. So, to make sure Grimlock knew how wonderful it felt, Sludge pressed his head against the others, to murmur into the audio sensors. "So good... You Grimlock feel good inside. Aah!"

A snarl tore free of Grimlock's vocal processor as he rocked almost desperately against Sludge, wanting to feel as much of Sludge as he could. He tried his best to hold himself back, but it felt so wonderful, it was nearly impossible to concentrate on anything but the sensation of his spike slipping in and out of Sludge in the erratic rhythm they set.

The tall, strong body under his hands jerked and tensed, as desperate moans and cries rang out into the early night. Soon, too soon, the world around them was no more, nothing else mattered, but the throbbing energy inside. Sludge was trembling, blue optics offline as he ground himself against his partner, until his systems couldn't resist anymore. His last functioning processors gave up, his neuro-grid felt like melting and the overload crushing down on him made him roar, announcing his pleasure.

The overload made Sludge's well tighten around Grimlock's spike, and that sent Grimlock over the edge as well. He joined Sludge's roar with a thunderous one of his own, his vocal processor finally mature and able to generate a proper one which made the loose rocks around them shake.

A few minutes passed in relative silence - the sea's murmur mingled with the humming of vents. Sludge thought, he could easily doze off like this, draped over his beloved leader. He resisted, though - he knew it'd be a lot better to move back into their cave.

Grimlock's visor flickered tiredly several times as he stared up at the now dark sky and purred to the other Dinobot, "You Sludge...felt good." He never imagined it would feel that good to have the role reversed - for him to be the one inside another rather than other way around. He growled softly as he felt his spike slowly retract itself, sliding out of Sludge and back into his body where his panel clicked shut softly.

A similar click answered it - that's how the body worked. When his temperature settled for a more normal one, the tall youngster leaned back a bit, smiling at Grimlock and nuzzling him affectionately. "Me Sludge glad you Grimlock first. You Grimlock felt good, too. And you Grimlock's voice strong now..." he pulled his shoulders up a bit with a mischievous grin. "Think them others heard...?"

"You Sludge loud too," Grimlock countered through his steady purr. "Them probably did." He did not care though. They were part of his pack - his future tribe. If they had issue with this, too bad.

The other mech purred back, and hesitantly, but eased himself out of Grimlock's lap. "Us better go sleep - big hunt at sun-up and much work to do."

Grimlock's fingers slid over Sludge's hips and legs as he stood as if reluctant to let him go, but he nodded in agreement and stood as well once Sludge was out of his lap. "Yes - us get lots of rest."

So, the two young warriors retuned to the darkness of their shelter. The others seemed to be resting, though Slag's vents were humming a little louder than usual, and from Swoop's direction, tiny, muffled noises could be heard... almost like laughter.

Grimlock, before switching to recharge, made a mental note to scold him later.


	5. Breeding Strategy part 1

**A/N:** Het warning for those of you who despise het (like me). Pretty sure this'll be the only time.

* * *

The morning air was cool and misty; fresh, after the long, heated days. Even though the Dinobot lair was practically on the seashore, where kind currents blew and the endless waters breathed moisture into the air, Swoop was happy for this early morning coolness.

He was gliding above the treetops in a slight daze, like every time he could fly without a cause, just for the fun of flying. The wind beneath his wings, the speed, and the sense of freedom lulled him into a waking dream, and cleared his mind more effectively than a night's recharge.

He could think up there, laughing at the earthbound creatures, playing with the birds and the flesh brothers of his second form. A pack of those winged lizards lived not too far away, and they were already used to Swoop, accepting him as one of them. The healer had the chance to see their nests, and their eggs; and even witnessed the birth of new life. It made him feel small, insignificant in comparison of the world's wonders, and it also made him think about his future heirs.

But suddenly, something invaded his thoughts. It went straight into his head – it wasn't a sound, but signals, drifting in the air, and singing to him…

The Call. Somebody down there was Calling.

Now, Swoop was quite a nice Dinobot, always considerate, diplomatic and kind, but he did have a spike. And the Call tended to get to everybody anyway. The healer's first thought was to dive and take a look, though he managed to remind himself, that if it happened to be a Predacon, then he should just fly back and wait a few days… According to his calculations, Grimlock was about to Call as well. After all, it has been many moon-cycles since the youngsters left the tribe.

He descended, and started to circle to find the source, the Calling mech. The signals were very strong… they made his head spin slightly, and he felt his insides tremble from anticipation. This one was desperate… And a _femme_, one of those few without a spike!

Soon, he even spotted the mech, and Swoop landed on a thick branch, practically above her head. Mmm, no Predacon… It was a Maximal, probably a lioness, heated, eager and waiting. Swoop couldn't help but leer at her and look inappropriately smug, even in his beast form.

The Maximal was in her own beast form, rolling in the foliage and rubbing her head against the trunk of a large tree as if she thought it would help dispel the heat from her already overclocked systems. Crushed greenery smeared over her already light green frame, and the bark of the trees scratched her finish. Her signal was strong and carried through the thick jungle easily.

She lifted her head when she heard the branches above her creak and purred eagerly at Swoop once she saw him. She rose smoothly to her feet and rubbed against the tree he landed in, grinding her side against it from head to flank before she flipped her tail up at him and resumed purring.

Swoop nearly fell from his branch. Now, he himself had been in heat, and his creators, too, and all the other mechs, but this one... It was overwhelming... His systems screamed at him, his spike was stirring inside, so he deemed it pointless, to waste the time. He hopped down, transforming in midair and landing gracefully. His soft growling was more like crooning, vibrating deep in his chest as he approached the femme. During the Call, mechs had more pressing problems than attacking, so even though usually Dinobots and Maximals avoided each other on their best days, now was not the time to snarl... It was time to mate, and the poor thing could have been like this since days... Which was actually very strange; after all, Maximals kept together too, in packs or pairs... But Swoop couldn't think clearly at the moment. The fact that the femme was apparently all alone didn't occur to him as strange.

"You Maximal miss something...?" Swoop purred. "Me Swoop can help."

The simple-minded speech of the Dinobots normally put off Maximals, but she was so desperate for relief, she could not care less what came to her aid as long as it had the right equipment. She quickly shifted out of her beast form but remained sitting on her knees on the ground. "I definitely need help," she purred at him almost conversationally even as she reached down with one hand to run her fingers over her already wide open panel which dripped lubricant energon to the leafy ground under her. "I'm Sundown."

Swoop grinned. "You have lovely name." He drew closer and kneeled down as well, reaching out for her, and somewhere deep, he was proud that his hands weren't trembling that much. His panel slid open and the spike unsheathed itself. "You Call loud... Want heirs that much? Me Swoop can give you them... Strong and brave, like all Dinobots." Yes, it was teasing, but the young healer's smile took its edge. Mmm, this was going to be some nice fun...

Sundown quickly closed the distance between them, and her purr heightened in volume. She let her claws trace over Swoop's shoulders and down his arms with an approving growl. Dinobot though he might have been, he would do quite nicely. "I've been Calling for a while...no one came," she purred as she rubbed herself against him desperately.

The flier pressed his hip forward as well, spike trembling from the other's heat and wetness. He grabbed her rear, rubbing eagerly against her, his vents humming loudly... And he kissed her, passionately, wildly. That was the only thing he was missing in Grimlock... He had the leader's mark, the facemask. But Grimlock was far away, and Sundown was here, and Swoop was growing impatient. He tugged on her lightly, to get her down to the forest floor, to finally begin mating. The Call did what was done with long caresses and sweet-talking any other time - they were both aroused, and very much so.

Sundown returned the kiss with mirrored enthusiasm, claws scratching Swoop's finish as she leaned back and tugged him on top of her. She quickly hooked her legs around his waist and gave him a desperate tug with her legs. She had indeed been waiting far too long, and she tightened her legs around Swoop's waist in an attempt to pull him into her impatiently.

The young healer complied to the request, and as his spike slipped into the blazing hot, well-lubricated valve, he couldn't hold down a strained cry. Stopping, as an option ceased to exist; Swoop dove deep into the femme's body, with a fierce rhythm, nuzzling around her neck. Faster and wilder with every passing moment, until their sparks were thrumming as one, and Swoop cried out again, as his chestplates split, to reveal his core. It'd been a while since he last did that...

Sundown snarled and arched up against him as her own chest split open, her spark reaching out to his. She raked her claws down his arms before she reached around him to get a better grip and grabbed hold of his wings, and she roared when she attempted to move against him, urging him harder and faster.

Swoop hissed at the pain from his wings, but it only added to the intoxicating sensations. He pressed his chest close to hers, and it didn't take too long until the nanites inside his body broke free, flooding Sundown's life holder. At the same moment, both sparks lashed out with brilliant light tendrils, locking the two cores, merging them into a flurry of pleasure, memories, feelings and surprisingly gentle warmth. Sparkbonding was rare, and never violent; the ancient gods took care of that, one's core was never harmed in any way, if it revealed itself during mating.

The femme writhed under him as her own overload crashed down on her, and her spark shone brightly and wrapped tendrils of light around Swoop's, coaxing more energy from it as a piece of Sundown's spark split away and soaked in their mingling light, the first light of a new heir.

And then, it was over.

The world came back, and the pleasure ebbed away, but it lingered - it tended to do that. Swoop's spike retreated and Sundown's panel snapped shut. The breeze was nice against their heated frames, and the young healer knew that the spell would last for a little while longer; the Maximal wouldn't attack - she probably had no strength to do that, anyway.

Swoop rolled to the side, and reached out, placing a gentle hand on her stomach. He felt that the Call did its work, and already, a new life was pulsing deep in her body. And he helped to make it. Again, this curious feeling... so humbling and yet, he was bursting with pride.

"Your pack..." he said, caressing her lightly, "Won't they be angry...? For you Sundown mating with Dinobot, bearing Dinobot heir."

Sundown had been purring loudly, lost in the feeling of the thrum of life already forming inside her, but Swoop's words made her purr hitch and turn into almost a growl as she answered, "Better a Dinobot than a Predacon." Now that she could think properly though, Sundown knew it was not good to be out in the open the way she was. The intensity and length of her Call had banished all caution from her mind, but now, she slowly began to remember why she was alone in the first place.

Predacon. Yeah, anything was better than them, of course and besides, wait, what-? Swoop sat up abruptly, as some fleeting images from before started to register... Memories he absorbed from the femme's spark, during the bond. Fear. Screams. Darkness. Pain. A disgusting touch, one to chill the spark itself... and an exceptionally huge and mean-looking Predacon.

"You... You Sundown fleeing...!" He claimed with widening optics. "You not with pack... You Sundown in danger!" The instinct commanded him to protect his mate and offspring. It was easy to shake off, because he was not attached to the femme, but still...

She remembered at the same time he came to that realization, and Sundown's first instinct was to shift to her beast form to flee - to protect her developing offspring, but she was barely able to roll over to her hands and knees, the plating of her armor shifting weakly and awkwardly and not at all cooperating. She was too drained from their coupling, systems still recovering and desperately requiring rest.

"They followed me," Sundown snarled to Swoop before she looked at him, expression desperate. "Can you fly?" She could only hope that he was not too tired to take to the air and could somehow take her with him, but she admittedly did not know much about Dinobots, especially not the rare flying type.

Swoop curled around her, shielding her from harm, blue optics scanning the surroundings. He was not sure he could take Sundown with, but he was eager to try. He pried himself off of the lioness, and began to transform-

The next moment, a metallic rope shot out from the bushes with careful precision, the loop on its end hooking around Swoop's neck. A quick jerk, and the Dinobot was on the ground, caught between two forms, and desperately trying to shift into one - either.

A huge-framed, dark Predacon shuffled out from the thick foliage, his roughly formed faceplates holding an ugly grin. A long weapon was in his hand, the end glowing and crackling with energy.

"Tried to flee, cat?" he asked, aiming it toward Sundown. "Well-well. You cannot escape us. Sire will be pleased. We take you back, and with a cub! Sire will be happy."

Sundown snarled and bore her fangs. She wanted to fight, and her claws flexed and twitched to show the inclination, but her optics were trained on the Predacon's weapon. She would have ignored it and lashed out if she was not already carrying. Instinct said her offspring's well-being was more important, and she obeyed it though her growls did not lessen. If she saw an opening, she would take advantage of it.

The other attacker came out of hiding as well - he looked a bit more civilized, but nonetheless smug. He purred at Swoop, who tried to get rid of the rope, but with no avail - the damn thing was tough like armor - he had never seen anything like that before. And the flier knew he had no chance against such two big damn Predacons. Now, he understood Thunder's warning about the Call.

"Let's wrap this up, Charge," The rope-wielder said, and raised his hand. A small gun glittered on his wrist, and without any further warning, he shot the young Dinobot. Swoop screamed, as the beam fried out some nearly-vital systems, and he fell back on the ground.

"And you, cat?" Charge grinned at Sundown still. "Want me to sedate you?"

Sundown's snarl heightened in volume, but she remained still save for curling in on herself and one hand lowering to her belly protectively. She knew not what that weapon would do to her heir, and she did not want to find out even though the claws of her other hand tore into the ground as she fantasized it was Charge's face instead.

Charge threw a glance that the other. "Ready, Longfang?"

"Yepp." The Predacon hauled the unconscious Swoop over his shoulder and stood aside. Charge motioned forward. "Go, cat. We're taking you back to Sire."

It was a struggle to push herself to her feet, but Sundown managed after a few tries, wavering as she walked ahead of the Predacons. She swore at herself inwardly - she had nearly escaped, but old gods seemed to hate her. Not only had she failed miserably, but now she had caused another mech to be trapped with her.

The little team left, targeting the nearby lair. Soon there was nothing left on the scene, but slightly disturbed ground, and a few shimmering drops of energon.


	6. Breeding Strategy part 2

The sun rose up on the sky, its rays warming up the ground, making the mist and the dew disappear. A glorious new day was beginning, full of possibilities. The young Dinobots came out of recharge one by one, and each of them saw after his morning routine: stretching and yawning, a quick splashing in the shallow waters or a few sips from the nice, cool cubes kept in the storage hole.

They actually noticed that one of them is missing, but it was nothing too out of ordinary - Swoop was prone to rise early and fly around a little, to stretch his wings. He always returned in time.

However, the minutes passed and passed; Sludge dried up out on the sun and Snarl warmed up nicely, too, Slag finished munching on the last bits of leftover metal from the latest prey, and the slender healer was still nowhere to be found. Tension was slowly rising, and if the Dinobots did not do well with something, it was tension. They kept glancing up to the sky, and they jumped every time a bird soared up, just to growl in disappointment a moment later.

Grimlock had not ceased growling since he first realized Swoop was late. It was not like Swoop to be late - Swoop was far too mature and responsible to simply lose track of time, and the more delayed he was, the louder Grimlock growled, until the rocks around him all but vibrated from the noise. He paced in a large circle along the rocky shore outside the cave, amazingly not tripping even though his red gaze not once left the sky. Something was wrong - something was very wrong.

It was Snarl who finally broke the silence. "You Grimlock make me Snarl's head hurt... Swoop must be in trouble. Him Swoop never leaves for so long. Us need to go and find him. Him Swoop might be injured."

Sludge whined at the announcement - he was worried for the healer, and the possibility that something happened to him tore at his spark. He stared at their leader, waiting for the orders - Grimlock had to know what to do next.

Slag, on the other hand, wasn't particularly disturbed - he never thought much of the flier of the group. He never went beyond growling at Swoop, or making comments, but only because Grimlock was quick to punish any harm, which befall on the healer.

Grimlock favored Snarl with a glare on impulse due to his foul mood, but he quickly looked back to the sky again. Much as he did not like Snarl's attitude, he knew the Cubemaker had a point. Something was wrong, and he needed to find out what.

"You Sludge come with me Grimlock," the leader barked. "Us go find Swoop. You Snarl and you Slag stay. If him Swoop come back before us find, tell him." He hoped that would be the case, and then Swoop could simply fly over the jungle and call him and Sludge back. Of course, if that was the case, Grimlock was going to give him a good throttle for worrying them so, but he would see to that later. Right now, they needed to find their healer.

Snarl nodded, and Slag smirked. He was not fancying prancing around sniffling for a weakling. Sludge quickly walked up to Grimlock and tapped at the ground impatiently.

"Him Swoop flies..." Snarl was thinking loudly, "If he is in trouble, him Swoop is in trouble far. You Grimlock and Sludge have to walk lots. Be careful."

Grimlock nodded before he glanced back at Sludge then started to the cliffs to begin the climb up. He told Swoop not to venture too far since there was the rare Predacon who could fly, but he could not exactly enforce that rule ground-bound as he was. It was more a request anyway - he did not like the thought of restricting Swoop who so belonged in the air.

Slag waited until after Grimlock was well out of hearing range before he snorted his contempt and threw a small rock out to the sea. "Better him Sludge than me Slag."

"Them Grimlock and Sludge will search far," Snarl said, glaring at his companion. Behind the passive demeanor, he was an excellent observer, and albeit it took him some time, he was able to notice connections, secrets, things that were off. And once he did, he was not above to use them to his advantage. "You Slag will go and search near. Around well, flying lizards' nests. Him Swoop can be anywhere. If you Slag not find, you will come back and wait with me Snarl."

Slag was in the middle of throwing another rock to the water when he was given the order, and his surprise nearly made him trip before he whirled on Snarl and glared at him. "You Snarl not order me Slag!" he hissed at the other Dinobot. "Besides, him Grimlock say me Slag stay here."

"Him Grimlock will not know," Snarl assured his companion with a small smile. "Area Slag has to cover small, not take long. Me Snarl will not tell." He turned a bit, offlining his optics, so the sun's bright rays would not disturb them. "If you Slag not go, me Snarl will tell him Grimlock about panel locks."

Slag's flinch was almost violent, and his growl lowered as he clenched his hands into fists. He did not doubt Snarl would do it - Snarl did not waste words or make false claims. Angry and defeated, Slag growled once more at the other Dinobot before he turned and stormed toward the cliffs himself to quickly do as he was told. A quick search around the well and the nests was much more appealing than their leader finding out about their youngest's problem.

When he was alone, the young Cubemaker let his vents huff with a sigh. He looked back over his shoulder, searching the sky, then slowly kneeled back on the shore, and began to pray to the great gods, for Swoop's safety.

* * *

Miles away, in an ancient underground base, two Predacons were escorting a Maximal femme back to the cells, so they can pass their unconscious victim to the resident mad scientist. Then, they had to go to dutifully make their report to the lord of the place.

Charge was quietly murmuring to himself, probably rehearsing his speech. Longfang shook his head. He was the smarter of them, there was no doubt, but words evaded him every time he had to put together more than a few sentences. Somewhere deep inside, the sabertooth tiger thought, they caused quite some trouble to their Sire, and this made him constantly frustrated. And he barely had any chances to get rid of the tension.

Sundown's plates twitched and cabling creaked in tension with every step she took deeper into the Predacon fortress. She still could not believe her misfortune - it had taken careful planning, dozens of orns, and nothing short of a miracle for her to escape the first time. Pessimistic as the thought was, she could not deny the realization that she would not be able to escape a second time, especially not while she was carrying.

Finally, they reached a large door with energon-powered bars - it zapped any fool, who was stupid enough to touch it. Longfang punched a code in, and the crackling died. The bars slid to the side, and Charge nudged the femme to enter the sparsely furnished, but airy room, which currently held six other prisoners. Two femmes and four mech were enjoying the rather questionable hospitality of the Predacon lord. One of the femmes was quite young even, panel locks still intact; while one young male was lying in a corner, exhausted and aching from his recent delivery, which did not go well.

Sundown stumbled into the cell and quickly ducked over to a corner away from the others, ashamed and embarrassed for her failure. She knew a few of them even though she was not very sociable to begin with. She quickly shifted to her beast form so she could curl up into a tight ball and hide her face from the other slaves.

The bars soon closed and the crackling energy engulfed them again. One mech crawled up to his suffering companion. The latter was a Maximal, the former a Dinobot - a rare sight anywhere else, but here, they were a family, forced together by the circumstances.

The youngling femme inched closer to Sundown. She was another Maximal, reddish-colored with a long furry tail. "Are you okay?" She asked on a whisper, with honest concern written all over her faceplates. "I'm sorry that it didn't work..."

Sundown let out a noise which was half growl and half whimper as she forced her face up from her paws. "I almost made it..." she keened pitifully. "I was so close! Then I started Calling..." Sundown buried her muzzle in her paws once more at the too recent memory. She had tried her best to keep going, to ignore it, but after the second day, thoughts of escape no longer mattered, and all she cared about was finding a mech to satisfy her urge.

The youngling timidly reached out and scratched Sundown's neck. "But... weren't you Calling a while before...? Pathways says..." She glanced at the Dinobot trying to make the sick bot drink a little energon, "That we don't Call so often. Do you..." she lowered her voice again, leaning close to the lioness. "Do you think... He... will wait until I start to Call...?"

The green femme hesitated, not wanting to answer that. She knew he usually waited for the first Call, but sometimes he got impatient, especially if he found one of his slaves particularly appealing. Most of them only had to endure his attention when they were Calling, but some particularly unfortunate mechs found him between their legs far more often. "Probably," was all Sundown could say.

The youngling shifted into her beast form and curled up next to her companion. "You're not Calling anymore," she whispered. "It was not one of Them, right?" Of course, she meant Charge and Longfang.

Sundown shook her head and huffed out a sigh. "Dinobot flying by," she answered. "Wrong place at the wrong time...they brought him too." She felt a little guilty for basically baiting the poor Dinobot - Swoop, if she remembered right. Had she been thinking at all coherently at the time, she would have warned him.

"Sundown... Tell me what it's like."

* * *

One level up, Charge and Longfang approached the room, where the healer of the base was residing. He was a disgusting creature. Both the bear and the tiger were completely freaked out by him, not to mention the unfortunate victims. It was quite interesting, actually - Slither's frame was always immaculately white, his labs pristine and perfectly tidy, his speech was elegant and even his touch was somewhat... soft. But the way he was grinning, slanted red optics leering at others and his frame's coldness was repelling. The last trait might have had something to do with his alt-mode, which was a huge snake. Everybody agreed that he was insane, because he seemed the happiest, when he could slice up others with his tools, to see the inner workings.

Longfang let his brother slam his huge fists against the door, then, fighting with his churning fuel tanks, he entered, to deliver the latest captive. Slither wanted to see them all, and examine them thoroughly.

Slither hissed softly and turned to the doorway, tapping the floor with his tail. "What have we here?" he almost purred as his optics roamed eagerly over the two heirs' newest catch. "That's not another Dinobot, is it? You know he prefers Maximals." He let out a wheezing hiss and went to clear off an area so he could examine the new mech anyway, knowing their superior would not turn him away even if he preferred Maximals. The limited intelligence of Dinobots was not appealing though their considerable strength was impossible to ignore and, thus, a valuable addition to the mix.

"It was there," Longfang sneered unhappily. "We picked up the cat, and this too." He laid Swoop on the slab in the middle. According to his Sire's tales, the base was built by their ancestors in the faraway past. It was filled with many things wild Maximals and Dinobots could not even hope to comprehend – weapons, energon converters, and even a huge glass container, which was able to heal wounds. Slither knew his way perfectly around these things; he could rewire a mech, keep it in stasis for orns or replace complete limbs if the need arose.

The tiger Predacon shuddered, as Slither began to check the motionless body thoroughly. "Keep him knocked out," he advised to the healer, then began to inch toward the door. "We need to report to Sire."

Slither hissed again and made a "shoo"ing motion with one hand before he immediately started running his claws over the body of their newest "recruit", examining his physical condition. "Yes, yes - do not tell me how to do my job," he cautioned, slipping his claws under armor panels curiously as he muttered to himself. "Fascinating...quite a weak specimen, but flying Dinobots are quite rare."

Longfang didn't make another command aside a quiet growl, and he fled.

* * *

Soon, they were standing in front of the main room's door, behind which, the Predacon overlord's private quarters lie. Charge was scratching his neck nervously while his brother knocked, but pulled himself together as their Sire called them in. It was not easy to stay brave in his presence.

The huge, menacing form turned to them slowly, burning red optics fixing on the mechs. He was dark, his frame the different shades of dark gray and brown. The dangerous fangs of his beast-form were curling over his broad shoulders. He took the form of a tar-boar, one of the few mechanical life forms on the planet. When he spoke up, even though he kept his volume down, his voice rumbled - probably that's why he bore the name Thunderclap.

"Speak, my heirs, but don't shout - Crystal needs her recharge." In the background, one of his femme heirs was resting, slender frame curled around a little mech, the prisoner's newborn.

Charge grunted and scraped at the claws of one hand with those of the other. "We found the cat," he answered with a growl. "She was Calling, but a Dinobot beat us to her." He shifted his gaze up to his sire, quickly adding lest his statement earn him Thunderclap's wrath. "We brought him in too - left him with Slither."

"Good!" Thunderclap smirked, and stepped closer, caressing his heirs' heads. "You are good heirs, both. I was not counting on a new bearer this soon. And if the little Maximal is carrying already, let it be - either another Maximal, or a Dinobot heir will suit our needs. This pleases me." He nodded. "I'll see your new catch soon. Where did you find it?"

After all, Dinobots hunted in packs and lived in tribes. If there was one... maybe there will be another.

Charge growled quietly at the touch, but he knew better than to pull away and instead answered, "Near the cliffs. It's a flying one though - not sure how far it was from its tribe." He knew capturing a flying Dinobot was indeed an accomplishment though he doubted its pack members were as well. Flying Dinobots were rare. "I'm sure it has one though - it's weak for a Dinobot. Couldn't survive on its own."

"My thoughts exactly," the Predacon rumbled. "You two can have some rest and fun, you deserve it. But, dispatch Slick; tell him that he should take a look around. It'll be his first real assignment, and I expect him to do well. He is to stay low and just look."

He was interrupted by a few sharp clicks - the sparkling was wiggling in the femme's embrace, and demanded nourishment. Thunderclap let out a short growl. "We'll have to see that matter, too... Charge, go and bring me a few cubes from the storage. Longfang, fetch me the older femme from the cell. I've been neglecting her lately... After you spoke to Slick, I don't need you for the rest of this orn. When I do, I'll call you. Go, my heirs."

Charge grunted but nodded his acknowledgment, almost disappointed. He wanted to be the one to go out and locate the Dinobot's tribe in the hopes that he could have a little fun of his own before turning the unfortunate mechs over to his sire. However, Thunderclap's word was law, and while Charge was not the smartest of his heirs, even he knew better than to question him.

Longfang, who was nearly purring from his Sire's caress shook himself and bowed lightly. He was glad Thunderclap was pleased with them. And, he even let them to do whatever they wanted… the tiger, as he headed back toward the cells, was already planning a hunt.

* * *

In Slither's lab, Swoop slowly regained consciousness. His head was aching from the attack, the sharp light bothered his optics, and soon enough, he found out that he was unable to move. First, he almost panicked, twisting on the cold metallic slab, trying to wiggle free, but with no avail. The young healer let his insides cool a bit with a few long intakes then tried again, calmly this time. Still, the restrains held out. Swoop hissed. He was extremely vulnerable like this, hands secured above his head, his legs stretched, and the ropes curling around his feet. He couldn't even move much.

Slither stepped over to Swoop upon hearing the Dinobot's struggles and let a small grin cross his face. "Rise and shine, Dinobot," he hissed softly. "You had best not waste your energy struggling - not even a Dinobot can break my restraints." He hissed out a snicker and walked around to Swoop's other side as he spoke, "You are in excellent health - quite a find, I must say. I must remember to congratulate Longfang and Charge again."

The young healer hissed again, louder and angrier this time. "You Predacon will be sorry - me Swoop will get free and feed you to younglings!" He was sure Grimlock will come for him - he could be extremely dense at times, but he was a good leader, and he'd never leave any of his own in trouble. Swoop finally managed to tune his optics so the lights won't blind him anymore, and he peered around the room, measuring the white mech from top to toe as well. The environment grabbed his attention more effectively, though. It seemed so... old and yet, more sophisticated than anything he had ever seen before. "Where we are...?"

Slither merely grinned at the Dinobot's stubborn resilience. It could get tiring very quickly, but it just would not be a Dinobot without that stubborn streak - and it just made them that much more entertaining to break. "My laboratory," Slither answered without bothering to mask his amusement. "You belong to the Lord Thunderclap now."

'Laboratory'...? Lord...? The flier had never heard those words before. But he was smart enough to guess; and the last sentence was unsettling enough. "Me Swoop belongs to tribe, not Predacon. Predacon can kill me Swoop, but not else. And me Swoop important, a healer. Predacons have no good healers."

That earned him an indignant hiss. "The Predacons need no healer other than me." Slither scoffed and flexed his claws before he began to survey Swoop's structure again, fascinated. It had been a long, long time since he had last held a flying Dinobot in his clutches. "So your name is Swoop, is it? Accurate, I suppose. Dinobots always did give absurdly simplified names to their offspring."

"Dinobots need no fancy names," Swoop shot back "Us Dinobots have strength and spirit instead!" but, he didn't miss the other information. So this white mech was a healer, too! He always respected other healers for their knowledge. And, now that he could take a closer look... this one seemed... odd. He was in a perfect condition, armor clean and carefully maintained, without scratches... but yet, he seemed... No, no, he did not seem old... he felt like that. His touch made Swoop uneasy, and he involuntarily squirmed a bit, to avoid contact.

"And look where that 'strength and spirit' has gotten you," Slither snickered, a few hisses mixed into the noise. "Into the well of one of our femmes and now here to join the rest of the breeding troupe." He ignored the Dinobot's squirming and began to open him to check his life holder. Swoop certainly seemed old enough to have conceived before, but the best way to be positive was to check for himself.

Okay... it was getting very offensive very fast. The young Dinobot growled at the Predacon, but he didn't squirm... It was useless anyway, and he was not about to give the white mech the satisfaction to see him panic and trash around like a scared youngling! But... he was getting the plating off, at the most sensitive area...! Swoop shuddered as the claws worked the tiny clasps open one by one, which held the abdominal plating firmly in place. Somehow, he didn't want the Predacon to see his insides... the younger healer was not sure why, after all, when the offspring was taken out of the body, the whole tribe was supposed to watch, to marvel at the wonderful accomplishment, and celebrate the new life's arrival. But the thought, that his life holder will be exposed to this mech, just made Swoop's fuel tanks churn. Still, he forced himself to stay as still as possible, and endure the cold touch.

Something hissed, and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed in the room; then, a low, rumbling voice rose from the shadows. "Slither. How is it going? Is the new catch worthy of any attention?"

Slither looked up from his work at Swoop's abdomen and hissed once before he responded, "Yes, my lord. He is a flying Dinobot - quite rare, and he is in excellent health. He will make strong heirs." He looked toward the entrance to the room. "He appears to have conceived before, and his successful mating with Sundown should produce an interesting heir."

Swoop tensed up. He was not exactly keen on remembering that. His blue optics burned with hatred as he watched the other Predacon to approach. He was big and dark... and had a very dangerous air around him, thought it was not like the white healer's... It was more earthy, more clearly defined. He was a Predacon, who was ready to tear others apart with bare hands if necessary.

Thunderclap drew close to the examination table and leered at the Dinobot. His dark fingers stroked the exposed life holder slowly. "Well-well... so young, and already experienced. At least he knows how to deal with it. And he gave me another soldier." He smiled, and Swoop wanted to curl up and click from that smile. "You'll bear my heirs from now on, Dinobot. If you behave, you might even get into my good graces. And if you don't, well, you will be denied the choice, then. Right, Slither? You make the best poisons on this planet."

Slither wheezed out a long, low hiss, the best attempt at a purr he could manage. "Indeed. We have ways of making you...compliant." He took his turn to trace his claws over the Dinobot's life holder, eager to see it work so he could extract a new soldier. That was his favorite part in this whole operation.

"Patience, Slither," Thunderclap chuckled. "You just freed a sparkling from a body. The little one seems to have stabilized, by the way. All the femme fluids really did well on him. It was a great idea. It got Crystal a bit exhausted, but it's nothing what a cube and some rest won't cure. Now, when you're finished, call Talon so she could take this new breeder to the cell. And make sure Sundown eats - we can't have more of that foolishness that mech pulled on us."

"Yes, my lord." Slither bowed his head respectfully and swiftly closed up Swoop once more. He still had a few more tests he wished to run, but as soon as he was finished, he would do as he was told. "Yes, that was quite unfortunate. The stupid beast still has not fully recovered."

"And if he won't... The sparklings will have a lovely meal." Thunderclap nodded to the healer and walked out. On the table, Swoop was getting desperate. They talked about him as if he hadn't been there...! As if life wouldn't be anything but a cube, or a net, a simple tool! The young healer's spark pounded in its casing - these Predacons were merciless and cold. Swoop heard many stories about their kind, but somehow, he suspected, these mechs were far worse than the scariest tale of the elders. And he just ended up in their hands.

While Slither finished his examination, and the black femme with the long claws dragged him to the cell, Swoop was silently praying to the great Gods; and hoping that Grimlock will come soon. Though, he couldn't help but wonder - will he be able to defeat Thunderclap and his pack...?


	7. Breeding Strategy part 3

Sludge couldn't remember when he was last so frustrated.

They searched high and low, all day, at every place they could think of, and still, there was no sign of Swoop. The tall youngster's insides were trembling, and he was growling in synch with Grimlock. He was so worried! And strong feelings always got the better of him, making him pretty one-track minded. His attention wavered, and he even missed the more obvious signs... like torn branches, disturbed ground, and scratch marks on tree trunks.

Grimlock was not so oblivious. Every strange sign he saw, he quickly stooped to sniff and investigate in an attempt to determine who had trespassed on their territory. He knew not if there was a connection between the trespassers and Swoop's disappearance, but he could not afford to take any chances. Grimlock's growl had not ceased since they left the coast and instead only deepened the longer their searching proved fruitless.

Grimlock snarled softly as he stooped to the ground again to sniff a patch of disturbed ground, growing desperate as the sun reached its highest point in the sky.

"What you Grimlock found?" Sludge stomped his feet impatiently, eager to know the details, to have at least a clue as to what might have happened. He did not like this situation at all -Swoop was missing, Grimlock was silent, and his back plating was crawling. Sludge glanced around, sneering. He was eager to vent a bit, so if somebody was watching them, all the better - he'd find it and chew on it!

Grimlock growled again and pushed himself up a little, brushing aside some of the dirt and dead leaves. "Someone mated here," he answered, his voice vibrating as he continued to growl. "Still some left. Smell like him Swoop." He pointed to dry spattering of lubricant energon coating some of the leaves though any other signs had likely been absorbed by the dirt long before now. As he spoke, Grimlock lifted his head to sniff the air and glare around at the thick foliage. The scent was not very old, so this was the best lead they had come across all day.

That definitely caught Sludge's attention. He forced himself to look around properly, and noticed other signs which proved Grimlock right. He growled and nodded, more than willing to continue searching.

But the nagging feeling didn't want to go away. There was something... Something watching them. Sludge let out a deep purr, and he brushed against Grimlock, growling quietly into the young leader's audios. "Me Sludge feels something... Like optics on back, might be intruder."

And that would be one of the many reasons why Grimlock preferred to hunt and track with Sludge than any of the others - Sludge may not have been the brightest of the pack, but he was certainly perceptive. Grimlock had not noticed the nagging feeling of being watched until the other Dinobot said something.

Grimlock did not respond with more than a softer growl, and he stood slowly to sniff the air higher where a breeze was drifting against his back. They were upwind, so he hoped the breeze would carry the scent of the intruder if there was truly one nearby.

Sludge idly sniffled around, but he was actually training his senses on the forest, trying to pinpoint something that was off. Eventually, he shifted into his beast-form and walked around, nosing the ground under a tree. The crawling intensified to a nearly unbearable level, and the young warrior, after a long, almost painful growl, suddenly stomped heavily. The ground shook beneath his feet, birds rose with frightened screeching, and something fell down from the tree. It landed with a metallic thud on the ground, and before it could move, Sludge, demonstrating his fastest action since probably his birth, was pinning it to the ground, snarling menacingly.

Grimlock was about to turn around to survey the jungle behind them when Sludge shook the ground, and the pack leader had to brace himself before he fell over. Any urge to reprimand Sludge for not warning him died in his vocal processor when he saw the larger Dinobot pin down whatever he shook from the trees, and Grimlock was at Sludge's side in an instant, shifting at once to his own beast form and snarling loudly enough to shake the foliage around them. He snapped his jaws threateningly as he worked his way around Sludge's larger body to see who or what his pack member found.

It was a lizard - a bit like their second forms, but smaller, lighter, and more organic in appearance, identifying it as a Predacon. The green finish with orange flecks blended it perfectly into the environment - whoever he was, he was meant to spy on others. The bright amber optics had a sharp gaze, and the hiss it let out was high-pitched and very angry. It also seemed rather young.

"Who you?" Sludge bellowed, baring all his metallic teeth. "Why you spy on us Dinobots? Where him Swoop?" He was at the end of his patience, and the Predacon's armor creaked beneath his powerful foot.

As much as Grimlock desperately wanted those answers as well, he nudged Sludge with his nose when he heard the Predacon's armor protest the pressure. They needed the awful creature alive if they were to find Swoop. "You answer him Sludge now," he ordered the small Predacon regardless, "or me Grimlock start eating bits and pieces." He snapped his jaws again to emphasize that threat.

The Predacon screeched and clawed madly at the offending foot, but his smaller claws were not enough to do more than to scratch Sludge. His tail swished frantically, and he eyed the two metallic monsters with hatred. "I'm called Slick! I'm Sire's best scout, and I was searching for you... Sire wanted to know where the companions of the flying wretch are, who was brought to our hideout."

The Dinobot leader's growl deepened at the mention of a "flying wretch". He did not know what a "wretch" was, but the "flying" part was enough to make him feel a strange combination of both hope and intensifying anger. He must have meant Swoop. "Who Sire?" Grimlock demanded. "Where him take Swoop?"

"He's called Thunderclap," the gecko hissed. "He's the biggest, most fearsome mech around, and he'll rip you to pieces if you hurt me! He eats Dinobots and Maximals! You should see his lair... underground, so ancient, you stupid things would gape at the weapons we have...!

"Where lair?!" Sludge hollered. As kind he was with his own, he became just as intimidating and fearsome when angered and facing an enemy. "Tell, or me Sludge crush you like twigs!"

"You weapons not mean much when you sitting there under him Sludge's foot," Grimlock snarled. "You not tell us where, me Grimlock tell him Sludge to crush, then us feed to rest of pack!" He fully intended to bite off one of the Predacon's limbs if he did not cooperate soon which brought forth another question he had been wondering. "Why him take Swoop?"

The small lizard squirmed. "Thunderclap needs breeders to give him strong heirs," he reluctantly admitted. "Your Swoop will be good for him because he flies." The yellowish optics glinted maliciously. "Release me, and I'll take you to my Sire. You'll see how strong he is..."

Impulsive as he was, Grimlock did not believe that for an astrosecond. As small as Slick was for a Predacon, he was positive the slippery creature would run as soon as Sludge lessened pressure on him. Instead, Grimlock shoved his beast form's massive nose against Slick to more securely acquire his scent. With that, he hoped to be able to trace the Predacon's steps through the jungle, so once the scent was stored in his databanks, Grimlock stood straight and looked at Sludge.

"Him Slag still needs parts to grow, yes?"

"Bits," Sludge growled maliciously, obviously liking his leader's mindset. "Him Predacon is a bit." And it was not as if a grown mechs' systems couldn't cope with some metal or the fuel and fluids of another mechanoid.

Grimlock gave an approving growl and jerked his large head in the direction of the coast. "You Sludge take Predacon to him Slag. Me Grimlock keep looking." With any luck at all, the lair Slick mentioned was nearby, so he would not have to track his disgusting Predacon scent for long.

"You can't _eat me_, glitches!" the lizard squealed. "Release me, and I'll lead you to the lair!" He might have continued, but in the next moment, Sludge's powerful jaws crushed his skull with a sickening crunch. The headless body jerked a few times under the large foot then stilled, just giving a sizzle or two occasionally. The Dinobot's fangs precisely ground the metallic head to smaller pieces, then he simply swallowed them. Letting out a satisfied growl, Sludge turned to the leader. "You Grimlock sure you go alone? Tribe will follow! Tribe wants Swoop back. Go alone dangerous. Please, Grimlock...?"

Grimlock shook his head firmly, adamant. "Me Grimlock go ahead, make sure it safe," he countered. "Less of us out means less of us in danger. You Sludge leader if Grimlock not back by sun up." It was bad enough that Swoop was in trouble while under Grimlock's care - he was not about to risk any more of his pack.

"You Grimlock come back...!" Sludge pleaded, but he lowered his head as a sign of acceptance. He didn't want to loose any of the tribe either. "Him Predacon can have bearer, him Predacon's Sire can have heirs, lots of Predacons...! You Grimlock..." He hesitated. "Tribe stronger together," he finished quietly.

Grimlock touched his nose to Sludge's and purred at him soothingly. "Me Grimlock strong," he assured the larger Dinobot. "Predacons no match for me Grimlock." He left it at that - any further reassuring of Sludge would only waste time and make it harder for Sludge to resist the urge to follow him. With a final growl, Grimlock sniffed the tree Slick had been hiding in and started into the dense foliage to follow his trail in search for the lair.

Sludge was gazing after his Chief for a while then took the lifeless body, still not completely cooled, and headed back to their lair. Slag would like the catch, and the tall youngster felt more secure with the others, especially because they were quicker thinkers. Together, they would do it... Grimlock would come back, and they would free Swoop.

* * *

Said flier finally finished calming down and sorting things out. He crawled forth from his chosen corner and smiled when the other Dinobot kneeled down in front of him with hands held out with the palms turned upwards in an ancient greeting. Swoop took those hands and nodded. "Me called Swoop."

"Me called Pathway," the yellowish Dinobot replied. "Tale-keeper of tribe. You Swoop alright?"

"Yes, him Predacon just looked and talked." He stood and pulled Pathway up, targeting the sick Maximal to have a look at him. "What Predacon want? Said me Swoop breeder now. Me Swoop not like how him Predacon talks about life…" He scowled as he sank down next to the gray Maximal. "Like heirs would be nothing but cubes to stock."

"For him, they are," the Maximal said quietly. "My name is Sharpclaw… Slither, the white healer – if you can call him that – had my first heir, and Thunderclap now has the second… He tries to gather mechs who are loyal to him so he can have an army."

"What is 'army'?" Swoop blinked as he checked Sharpclaw's vitals. The diagnosis was simple – deprivation and slight internal damage. Apparently, he did not have enough energon while carrying.

"Army is like big tribe, lots of fighters who do what chief says, go on, kill others, taking energon and metal," Pathway explained.

"Why Predacon wants that?" Swoop still couldn't understand.

"Tales say," Pathway began, settling comfortably on his heels, "that ancestors came from stars. They made metal places in forest, left us songs and dances and great gods, him Primus and him dark star Unicron. But tales say ancestors knew much more. You Swoop seen Slither's place?"

"Laboratory," the flier murmured the unknown word. "That-" he glanced around and reconsidered. "This place built by ancestors. Him Predacon wants gather what ancestors knew."

"And he knows he'll have to fight for it," Sharpclaw nodded. "My pack wanders, and we've met Maximals who lived at a similar place. They were so… smart and… I don't even have the words for it. Like how our ancestors could have been."

Swoop smiled and lightly patted the Maximal's shoulder. "You Sharpclaw rest now, let body heal. You'll need strength when us escape."

"Escape?" another Maximal, a strong, bluish gray one, spoke up, his tone sarcastic. "Do you think if escape would be possible, Thunderclap would still have us? Please! His heirs are strong - they're armed with weapons I've never seen before."

"I managed to get out!" Sundown rose with a growl, nearly throwing Flare off of her. "You're just too numb, too used to this to try as well, or maybe you're scared!"

The mech snarled and rolled to his feet to silence the femme, but Swoop snapped on them. "No! We can only get out if we work together! Me Swoop's tribe will come, four Dinobots, all strong warriors. We need to think of plan, good plan! Snarling will not get us free!"

Pathway chuckled quietly and clapped his hands. "Him Steadfast not listen to anybody, not even her Heatwave, but him Steadfast listen to insults."

Flare giggled in the background, and Steadfast's growl was now targeting Pathway, but the slender yellow Dinobot did not back away. Not anymore. The first time they landed here, somebody was talking about escaping, freedom for all of them.

"How many warriors him Predacon has?" Swoop asked, sitting down in the middle and tapping his chin. "You Sundown escaped - what way? Him Sharpclaw needs energon… or something better. Others are well, no injuries? Every breeder here?"

The last mech, a sand-colored Maximal, settled down next to the slier. "I'm Longleap. All the breeders are here aside Heatwave, who is, for lack of better word, our Chief. Thunderclap has about ten heirs already; I counted. Plus Slither and him."

"But… You can't see them," Flare spoke up timidly. "Only Charge and Longfang and Talon, and the tall green one and the lizard are around."

There was silence for a while then Steadfast grunted. "The sparkling's right. Maybe the rest is already out hunting for whatever Thunderclap wants."

"Best time to escape!" Swoop declared. He glanced around and began to count on his fingers. "Heirs and healer and Sire, seven. Breeders, with me Swoop, eight, then me Swoop's tribe, four… Seven against us twelve. Sundown carrying, but she strong. Sparkling and him Sharpclaw weaker, them should go together."

"You know, Swoop…" Sundown remarked. "For a Dinobot, you're kinda smart."

The slender flier grinned at her. "You Sundown should see tribe… If me Swoop not smart, none of tribe smart."

Pathway tapped at the healer's shoulders. "Me Pathway's leg injured… sort of. Him Slither did not fix. Him Steadfast brags about big cannon, but him Slither must have broken that."

Swoop nodded. "Me Swoop will fix. Us will wait for Heatwave then discuss plan. She youngling should help Sharpclaw."

"I'm Flare," the young red femme introduced herself and blinked at Swoop with big optics. "How could I help him…?"

"Energon good for injured," Swoop explained, "but well energon even better. Makes injured heal faster, heirs grow strong. Heatwave probably used by Predacon now. she Sundown carrying, doesn't have much in her now. You Flare young, if heated, drip lots."

"B-but my panel locks…!" Flare's faceplates heated up. "T-they're not broken yet…"

"Me Swoop can open them," the flier said quietly. "If you Flare want really help. You Flare not have to. Me Swoop not know about Maximals much, so if you Flare's locks have to be broken by someone else, it's alright. You Flare think until plan ready, hmm?" He caressed her head gently and, with a last smile, left the young femme to think. He had some fixing to do.

* * *

If Grimlock was only angry earlier in the day, he was absolutely furious by now. For such a smelly beast, the Predacon he and Sludge found had not left much of a trail to follow. Even Grimlock's beast form's superior olfactory sensors failed him shortly after he parted ways with Sludge, so he had been shuffling through the dense vegetation of the jungle in the hopes of stirring some vague remnants of scent for the past cycle. Now, the sun was long past its highest point in the sky and had already begun its descent, and Grimlock had nothing to show for his effort in his search for Swoop.

His temper was even further flared by the fact that he was incredibly hungry, and his systems were growing hotter by the minute. Of all times for Swoop to go missing - it was imperative that a healer be on hand whenever a youngling mech Called for the first time in case anything went wrong, and Grimlock knew from Swoop's lessons that his own first Call was fast approaching. An annoying buzzing had been growing steadily worse deep inside him, his life holder shifting into reproduction mode, and Grimlock knew his body would soon demand a partner regardless of the unfortunate circumstances.

It was that abrupt realization that brought to mind an idea.

The Predacon - Grimlock tried to remember its name then decided he really did not care to bother - mentioned something about "breeding". The Dinobot wracked his databanks for a meaning to that word - it sounded incredibly familiar, but it was not a normal part of his limited vocabulary. Was it not the fancy word Maximals and Predacons used for mating? Now that he thought about it, Grimlock thought he remembered Landslide or Oceanborn say it once a long time ago. If it was what he was thinking of, maybe he could use it.

Grimlock raised his gaze to the sky and snapped his beast form's massive jaws together, the gesture both a threatening one as well as one he used when he needed to concentrate. The Predacon said his sire needed "breeders", and Grimlock could only assume that meant he needed mates. If that was the case, he could use his rapidly approaching Call to his advantage - make the Predacons come to _him_. Using himself as bait for the Predacons was a risky idea, he knew, but it was truly the only option he had left.

Shifting back to his primary form, Grimlock made his way through the foliage and up the slight hill he had passed not long ago where he crouched down and waited for his systems to send out the Call. He could only hope he would not be too late.


	8. Breeding Strategy part 4

It did not take long for Grimlock to realize this had to be the worst idea in his long history of bad ideas.

He remembered Swoop sitting all of them down and going over the changes their bodies would all be going through soon as each Dinobot Called for the first time, but Grimlock must have zoned out at some point - surely he would have remembered their healer mentioning _this_. If it was hard to think due to his anger before, it was downright impossible now. Every single circuit in his body felt as if it was burning, and his well ached with _need_. He had not been able to keep his panel shut for the past two cycles, and it was just as well - the heated jungle air was actually much cooler in comparison to the intense heat between his legs.

The fact that the mind-numbing need made it impossible to focus on the task at hand only made Grimlock angrier, and he had already tried to alleviate the pressure several times by attempting to use his fingers to bring himself to overload, but that did not work - in fact, it only made the choking need worse, and for the third time, he found himself staring up at the sky and trying desperately to both ignore his body's screaming need as well as hopelessly wish it would just go away on its own.

His radio signals intensified in strength; sooner or later, somebody was bound to notice, and then... he might be in trouble.

As the minutes passed, and the signals drifted in the air near the Predacon lair, a mech indeed picked up the silent begging. A slender shadow stretched in the descending darkness, red optics flashing and a malicious soft laugh escaped her elegant black throat. Talon, one of Thunderclap's femme heirs was once again glad that she was born without a spike. The Call affected femmes a little differently. Even if they were right next to a Calling mech, they retained their clear mind.

She quickly located the target and ran off. Whatever it was, now it turned into another potential breeder. Talon purred when she thought about the praise and spoiling she would get if she captured another valuable addition to her Sire's harem. And without even a fight!

In her black panther form, she approached the Calling mech - what a pity, another Dinobot...! But, Talon had a good optic for the important detail, and the mech right in front of her was tall and strong who would, no doubt about it, bear strong heirs. She only had to lure him into a trap. So Talon walked out from her cover, shifting into her carefully maintained standard form. "Well-well, what do we have here...? It seems somebody's having a problem."

Grimlock later realized it took him far longer than he liked to notice and react to the Predacon's presence, but when he did, he jerked back and stumbled to his feet with a snarl. He hiked up the "wings" which made the chest of his beast form in an attempt to intimidate the Predacon and make himself look bigger, but it was basically impossible to be taken as a serious threat when his panel was wide open and his well dripping copious amounts of energon onto the ground.

He tried to demand who she was and if she had anything to do with Swoop's disappearance, but all Grimlock could manage in the throes of his Call was a peculiar combination of growls and snarls mixed together with sultry purrs and desperate mewls. A part of him was thoroughly disappointed upon sluggishly realizing she was, indeed, a "she" - she could not satisfy his body's hunger.

Talon walked closer on light feet, her claws tracing the Dinobot's chest ever so lightly to finally slide downwards and slip into the heated, trembling valve. "Oh, I'm so sorry I can't do anything for you..." she purred. "But I'm sure my brothers could. They're both strong warriors, they could sate your appetite. All you have to do is to follow me, and you can meet them. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms." She lifted her hand and licked off the lubricant energon with a delighted shiver - it tasted wonderful. "So, brave Dinobot? Are you coming...?"

Grimlock's visor abruptly shut off as his whole body quivered in response to the Predacon's touch. Femme or not, at least her fingers felt good, much better than his own, and he let out a disappointed growl when she withdrew all too soon for his liking. His body and spark flared with need again, and her proposal, once he finally processed just what she meant, was too tempting to resist, and he did not need any more incentive to obediently follow her. If he could just find some relief to make himself think more clearly, then he could resume his search for Swoop.

To get to the lair took a little time – Talon was fast when alone, but she needed to make sure the Dinobot kept up. But eventually, the light of the twin moons bounced off of some metallic surface in the distance – the fortress of the ancients, barely rising above the ground, but stretching out quite far underneath.

The femme was sure that by the time they get there, somebody would be waiting for them. And indeed, just as she spotted the entrance, she could see Longfang standing there, tall body shaking from anticipation while Charge, nursing an injury – the brothers probably fought for the mating right – was lurking in the shadows, head spinning from the Call so close.

"Another Dinobot…?" the sabertooth tiger growled, optics trained on Grimlock's massive form.

"Probably the companion of the flying one," Talon shrugged. "Sire wanted them anyway. Give him an heir, brother." With that, she targeted Charge – the Call made her eager as well.

At this point, Grimlock barely knew what was going on around him, and he cared even less. The need was so intense, the first thing he actually focused on once close enough was the scent of a mech - an actual mech with the parts he so desperately wanted. He knew he did not particularly like the scent, and once he actually saw the mech in question, he knew why - a Predacon. Grimlock tried to growl at him, but it came out as a mix of a growl and a purr. To the depths with it - Predacon or not, he needed satisfaction. He could rip off the beast's head afterwards.

Longfang simply purred back - his head was spinning as well and his spike already exposed to the cooling night air. He stepped closer and rubbed himself against the uncovered valve, smearing himself with shimmering energon. His fingers roamed over the Dinobot's tough armor to find a good grip on it, then he simply pushed into the warm body, hissing from the pleasure which crackled along his spine. The mating began, fast and rough, a mere necessity; the Call ignored feelings and customs.

Grimlock let out a roar as his already weakened knees gave out on him. It had been far too long since he felt another's spike inside him - ever since the night his panel locks were broken, and while he had not forgotten just how wonderful it felt to be filled so thoroughly, he had forgotten just how intense it was - or maybe that was the Call's doing.

Regardless, Grimlock fell, but his large hands gripped the Predacon tightly and pulled him with him, not about to let him pull away without fulfilling his need. His valve had already been slicked more than necessary in all the time it had taken for him to be found, so the Predacon's spike found no resistance, only pleasing friction that made Grimlock rumble deep in his chest in satisfaction.

The darkness was soon filled with deep moans and growls, hisses and other sounds of pleasure, and it didn't take too long until Longfang threw his head back, and with a desperate huff of his intakes, his heated chestplate split and parted, revealing his spark. The Predacon shook himself then ground his front against Grimlock's. His instincts commanded him to make an heir and he was not about to protest. His core sensed the other's energy and rhythm, and tuned itself to a synch.

At first completely lost in the pleasure, Grimlock was startled out of the haze of their frenzied coupling when he felt something inside him shift. He felt his barriers begin to fall, and it was not until his chest began to split that he realized just what was happening. How could he have forgotten that? The Call prompted mating - it was the only time they _could_ mate, and as Swoop explained to the pack not long ago, the Call often did so without their say.

Grimlock never reacted well to anything telling him what to do, his own body included. He may have allowed a Predacon into his valve, but he was not about to _mate_ with one.

It was much harder than he liked to dredge up the higher thought processes to raise his hands and grip the Predacon's shoulders, but once he did so, he used every micron of his strength to push his upper body away from his own; not a moment too soon as he lost control, and his chest opened, his spark flickering and exposed. It was so hard to concentrate against the still blinding pleasure of the Predacon's spike sliding in and out of him, but Grimlock was determined - if he could just keep the Predacon from connecting their sparks, he would be fine.

The old Gods decided to humor him. Charge and Talon were too lost in each other to care, and Longfang was so surprised by the Dinobot's reaction that he didn't really fight with the grip. A few more thrusts and he was lost in the overload crushing down on him, anyway; his amber optics widened and he howled with his release, his nanites filling Grimlock's life holder. But, there was no new spark to make the offspring. Both cores lashed out, trying to lock, but they were too far away. The throbbing energy tapered off, leaving both mechs tired and their vents working overtime.

Grimlock shook under the Predacon for a brief moment as he overloaded as well, but his grip on the other mech's shoulders remained strong until he was certain he felt his chest begin to close. Then, he let his dwindling strength leave his arms again once there was no more danger of bonding and growled tiredly at Longfang, vents roaring to cool his heated body.

The tiger retracted his spike and crawled off the Dinobot. He growled at his siblings who were finished as well. They were in considerably better shape than him - regular overload didn't take as much from the body as one with an exposed spark. Charge was growling contentedly and Talon didn't even seem to be really affected. She rose to her feet, brushed off dirt and grass from her slender black form and walked to Grimlock.

"That was interesting," she purred. "Sire will not be pleased. But, I'm sure he still has plans for you." With that, she unlocked a small gun on her wrist, and promptly shot the young chief.

"Now, I'll call Sire," she grinned at her brothers, "Unless you gather up the strength to carry him."

The Dinobot leader howled in a combination of pain and surprise, but he had no way of guarding himself against such a weapon, one which he had never seen before. He barely had time to wonder what it was before his body began to seize up, and he blacked out.

---

"That's some leader..."

"You Steadfast shut up."

"Wasn't he supposed to get us out?! I'm too worked up to leave, not gonna stay here another day!"

"You all just keep quiet. Him Grimlock may be here, but him will get us out. Trust Swoop. Plans don't need change." The young healer huffed and leaned above the motionless body of his Chief who was just thrown into the big cell. Actually, he agreed with Steadfast... Some leader! Swoop could still smell the overload on him and recognize the faded, fractured last signals of the Call. His first thing to do was to check Grimlock's life holder, and he was even a bit surprised with just how relieved he felt that there was no sign of an heir.

Grimlock twitched and slowly brought his visor online, flickering it a few times as he tried to figure out where he was and what happened. His last clear memory was his body sending out the Call, and then everything else was a blur of images which took him a klik to decipher. He vaguely remembered Predacons - three of them - and mating with one. He also remembered holding back the one he mated with, preventing the mating from becoming full, and that was a relief. After overloading though, he remembered nothing, and that was worrisome.

All worries vanished, however, when his visor focused just after he caught a familiar scent, vision locking onto a familiar and sorely missed face. Grimlock let out a surprised growl as he tried to sit up to embrace Swoop. The movement was too sharp for his still reeling systems to handle, and he ended up just rolling right back down with a pained noise.

Swoop's laughter was light and sweet. "You Grimlock rest. Got shot by Predacons, taken to evil healer, then brought here. Head needs time to cope. You Grimlock messy... Mating with Predacon, huh? Middle of the Call, huh? What if end up with heir, huh?! Me Swoop stops thinking, tribe stops thinking. Now Chief locked up as well." He leaned closer though to murmur into the young leader's audios. "Me Swoop glad you Grimlock alright."

Well, Swoop certainly seemed to be okay if he was already lecturing at him. Grimlock huffed his vents in indignation before he replied, sulking, "Us worried when you Swoop not come back. Me Grimlock and him Sludge go searching. Find smelly green Predacon. Him Sludge killed and took back to him Slag for parts, and me Grimlock keep searching." Here, Grimlock paused, quite embarrassed by his lack of foresight. "Me Grimlock feel Call coming - tried to use to bring out Predacons and find Swoop." Well, it worked, didn't it? Just not the way he planned.

"Not bad idea," Swoop admitted, stroking the dark helm with gentle touches, "but Grimlock forget how Call dangerous. Cloud mind, make body weak. But all Bots fall for Call... Me Swoop fell for it too." He grabbed Grimlock by the shoulder to pull him up. "Come, us have not much time. Rest of tribe will come at sun-up, us have to be ready. You Grimlock meet others and listen to plan."

Grimlock took a klik to pout, grumbling, "It seem like good idea at time..." before he looked up once more when he registered what else Swoop said and blinked. "Plan?" It was only then that he finally noticed all of the other mechs with them. He had been too focused on finally reuniting with Swoop to acknowledge them.

"Predacon keeps mechs here to give him heirs," Swoop nodded with a dark expression. "Us need to leave; kill Predacon if possible. Him foolish, thinks not much about breeders. Me Swoop fixed him Pathway and him Steadfast. When them Sludge and Snarl and Slag come, us break bars, kill Predacons and leave." He tapped at the collar encircling his leader's neck and called out to the rest. "What this? Need to remove?"

"That's a restrain device," the sandy-colored Longleap stated. "It reduces the body's abilities... in your friend's case, it probably makes him a lot weaker."

"Hmm." Swoop tapped his chin. "Help me, uhh, kill it?" Longleap proved to be a valuable help before; he possessed mechanical knowledge which was how Swoop managed to restore everybody's abilities. Apparently, Thunderclap was not the only one growing careless, but Slither, too; had he known how well the young Dinobot handled his tools, he'd have surely disabled those too.

Grimlock had not noticed the thing around his neck until Swoop said something. He gave a confused growl as he reached up to give it a sharp tug, and the growl turned into an alarmed snarl when it did not budge. He was one of the strongest of his pack, second only to Sludge, and he was not at all accustomed to being unable to break whatever he wrapped his massive hands around. "Get it off!" he growled, not at all liking the feeling of it around his neck now that he knew it was there.

"It won't be too wise to let Thunderclap know, his pet had shaken off the leash," a sturdy femme, Heatwave spoke up. "Think about it, Dinobot - If Swoop and Longleap can switch it off, Thunderclap will think you're still weak, when he drags you off to mate and then you'll be able to surprise him."

Swoop nodded. "Listen to her Heatwave, she's wise. Sit still and us will fix this."

Grimlock was not as smart as Swoop and had more trouble understanding that, but he did understand the part of surprising this "Thunderclap" Predacon they kept mentioning. He had surprised the other Predacon by pushing him away, and it sounded as if he was going to have to repeat that exercise of willpower soon. Reluctantly, Grimlock ceased pulling on the collar and let his hand drop to his lap with a soft growl of understanding, and he sat still so Swoop and Longleap could work.

The obedience paid off - he received a smooch on his faceplate from the healer.


	9. Breeding Strategy part 5

The night passed, and the sun climbed up on its usual path. In the cell, however, time seemed to stand still - only several of the mechs knew that it was morning already. They took their time to slip out of recharge slowly; after all, they hardly had anything to do. A few cycles after midday, Charge and Longfang appeared and called Grimlock out. They didn't notice Swoop's flashing optics - everything was going according to the plan. There was only one thing which would put it to risk: if the arrival of the three remaining Dinobots was delayed. But the healer trusted Snarl's wit and Sludge's loyalty; he was sure that as the dawn broke, the three of them set out finding their companions.

Grimlock gave the Predacons a defiant snarl, and under any other circumstances, he would have put up quite a resistance to their demands of his obedience, but he knew the others were relying on him - Swoop was relying on him, so he reluctantly stood as told. He favored Longfang with a particularly malicious growl which vibrated his whole body, still disgusted that he had allowed a Predacon inside him at all regardless of the situation.

Their walk ended at the main room which was located quite far from everything else, deep in the building. The huge door slid open with a hiss, and Grimlock was now facing the Lord of the house: Thunderclap himself. The Predacon sent his heirs away then turned to the Dinobot with a calculating smile. "Well-well. I heard very interesting things about you. It seems you're quite the fighter. Putting off my handsome heir like that, not allowing him to give you an offspring..."

Grimlock's growl only grew louder and deeper when he saw the Predacon who had caused them so much trouble, and he had to greatly resist the urge to leap at him and tear off his head. He needed to rein in his temper - the others were counting on him. Instead, Grimlock huffed in reply, "Him ugly like all Predacons. Not worthy of Dinobot heir."

"Such harsh language..." The Predacon seemed more amused than offended. He began to pace lightly, stressing his words with soft gestures. "You see, you raised my interest. You're big and strong; I could use you. Would you tell me your name? And since we're at it..." He stopped, and from a metal box, he produced an energon cube. "Aren't you hungry?"

Grimlock was in the middle of one of his best angry growls, but he cut it off when he saw - and smelled - the energon cube and stared at it. He had been warned about not eating anything given to him by the Predacon leader, but Grimlock had not eaten since the morning he and Sludge left to search for Swoop, almost all of his reserves drained. Still, they warned him - they did not go into why, but a warning was a warning, and the conflict of that and the need to feed only conspired to confuse and frustrate him.

Thunderclap raised the cube and took a sip, savoring the taste. "Ah, come on. You had a Call-overload; you're surely in need of a little refreshment." He pulled another small cube out of the box and offered it. "I'm not as bad as some may think. All I want is to talk. I'd like to know more about that flying Dinobot. Did you have heirs together?"

Grimlock's growl resumed at the mention of Swoop, and his "wings" hiked up on his back in both a show of his anger as well as an attempt to make himself appear bigger as he snapped, "Him Swoop belong to us Dinobots, not you Predacon. Him our healer. Me Grimlock not let you Predacon keep." Before he could stop himself, his gaze drifted back to the energon held by Thunderclap. He just saw him take a sip of it himself...surely he would not have if there was something wrong with it. "Us not have heirs," he admitted before he knew it.

"No? That's interesting," Thunderclap pondered. "My healer claims he did have at least one before. Ah well, maybe he made it with another... Funny, you look like a leader; the Chief of the tribe... Are you sure you don't need this...?" The cube swung from one side to another with the gentle motion of Thunderclap. "If not, then I won't ask again."

Grimlock's growl cut off once more in surprise, and he flickered his visor a few times. Swoop had an heir? It must have been true - what purpose could it serve the Predacon to lie about something like that? It was something he was going to have to ask Swoop about when this was all over.

Grimlock watched the cube intently as it was waved in his field of vision. Warning or not, he could not be certain of his ability to fight Thunderclap if he remained as under-fueled as he was, and surely just a little would not hurt. Bearing this in mind, Grimlock finally made a soft growl of defeat and raised his hands for the offered energon.

The Predacon smiled and passed the cube easily then sipped his own. "We're both leaders, aren't we?" he chatted on. "We lead our tribe, and only want the best for them. You see, I might consider letting both of you go if you help me out. Actually, your Swoop already completed his part of the business as he gave an heir to one of my... guests down there. I thought I could get the same from you, maybe."

Grimlock tried not to make his hunger obvious, but as soon as he pressed the cube to his mask and began to absorb its contents, he could not contain himself and ate far more than he intended to. He only stopped when he lifted his head from the cube to snarl once more at Thunderclap. "Me Grimlock not mate with Predacon scum!" he snapped with finality. "You Predacons use others to make heirs. Us Dinobots care for pack members more than that."

"You can choose a Maximal, if you'd like to," Thunderclap went on smoothly. The cube he gave to Grimlock was different from his; Slither prepared it specially with that strange mineral they discovered long ago. It had a most amusing effect on mechs. The only thing he needed now was a little time.

"I _do_ care for my heirs, didn't you see that? They're all kept well and happy. Those stupid Maximals are fed as well; it's not like we beat them every day! Consider it, Dinobot... Give a heir to one of them, and you'll have a chance to leave...!"

Grimlock knew the treacherous nature of Predacons too well to fall for that, but he acted as if he was mulling over the proposal anyway. As he did, however, he noticed he was beginning to feel rather peculiar, something stirring inside him. It took him a moment, but he soon realized what was happening, and his visor brightened in shock. He just Called the day before - how was it possible for his body to be preparing to Call again so soon? Swoop said the time period was very long between Calls - was it because he resisted bonding with Longfang?

Thunderclap picked up the small hints and he took a seat, getting comfortable and sipping his energon with a smile. Ooh, soon, very soon, the poison would take full effect, and then, he would have this beautiful creature at his mercy. The Predacon Lord loved to exercise his superior strength, grinding others into submission… Maybe this Dinobot would make a great specimen to experiment with. He had always wondered if they fed the contaminated energon to a mech long enough, would it permanently disrupt its mind?

Grimlock dropped the cube as if it burned him and shot an enraged glare toward Thunderclap as he demanded, "What you do to Grimlock?" Something was very wrong - it was approaching too fast, far faster than the day before which had been building up for the last several days. Before Grimlock could even think of stepping closer to the Predacon and again demanding what was happening, his unique signal broadcasted itself in a loud and desperate Call, and his body once again began to heat with need.

The Predacon Lord all but purred, and a wide grin spread out on his faceplates. "It's amazing how well it works... a simple red crystal, when soaked in energon, can turn it to poison... poison which makes a mech release the mating signals. It's like fire... and it doesn't let you think. Not that any Dinobots could do that. Your kind is a mistake made by the ancestors. The first one of you should have been wiped out on creation. So make yourself useful the only way you can be - bear me an heir, and another, until you die! Now, come closer, pet, and spread your legs. And don't even try to fight, I'm much stronger than Longfang." He advanced upon Grimlock, growling lustily, and unsheathed his spike to promptly rub it against the other's already heated panel.

Grimlock wanted so badly to use his fist to wipe away the Predacon's smug grin, but he could not get his arms to cooperate, his hands flexing uselessly at his sides. He let out a startled and enraged growl as his panel immediately and eagerly snapped open at such little stimulation, shocked at how nearly impossible it was to think. The last time was intense but nothing like this - all he could bring himself to think about was his throbbing valve and could only growl and snarl uselessly as the heat only intensified more and more.

The large, strong and still surprisingly steady hands guided him to the Predacon's bed and pushed him back with infuriating ease. Thunderclap growled, and with one swift motion, he entered Grimlock's body. The spike fit snugly inside and the Predacon didn't waste any time to begin mating. He jerked his hips forward and let out a long, deep moan from the pleasure.

In the heat of the moment, the rumbling sound from outside and the light tremble around them, as if the building itself shook, didn't register. Thunderclap's own lair was far from the cell where the center of the disturbance was, and even further from the main entrance where another kind of trouble began to brew.

The Dinobot let out a rumbling growl and convulsed underneath the Predacon, and his hands flew up to grab Thunderclap's arms. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Grimlock knew he was supposed to be doing something other than laying there and letting the Predacon leader have his way with him, something very important, but the thought was gone as quickly as it came, and all he let himself notice was just how well Thunderclap's spike fit inside him as well as how good it felt. Surely nothing else was as important as that, and this time, he did not even notice when his chest began to shift, and his barriers began to drop.

Thunderclap managed a satisfied laugh as he saw the spark chamber reveal itself. His own broad chest split as well, retracting slowly, and he leaned closer to grind their cores together, to create a new spark-

In the next moment, the door burst open, and in a flurry of claws, teeth, and raging screams, several mechs stormed in. One of them - Sludge, his blue optics blazing with fury - launched promptly at the Predacon, sweeping him off of the young Chief. Thunderclap howled and his body shifted to reveal his weapons, but his spark chamber was still open, and his instinct was to cover that, and this slowed him considerably. The maliciously grinning Steadfast aimed his cannon, and another Dinobot, the eager Slag, shifted into his beast form to throttle their target.

Grimlock wasn't left alone though; the large body was replaced by a smaller, more slender one. Swoop concentrated, reaching into his insides to find the right string to pull... And he succeeded. His chest opened, and he pushed against his leader, to merge their sparks. If one component was missing - either the nanites or the spark - there was no offspring, and the creator only released his load when overloaded. That - hopefully - hadn't happened yet.

Grimlock's growled when Thunderclap was taken away from him and his valve was left empty and bare, but when he felt someone again on top of him, he gripped the new mech tightly to keep him from leaving again. His visor was glowing brightly, but he could not see anything, too lost in the intense need and heat of the Call, and when his spark met the new mech's, he let out a roar and arched to meet the sensation, his spark flaring eagerly.

Swoop was losing in the fight for retaining his clear mind too. He could only hope that the others will be strong enough to defeat the Predacon.

According to plan, they blew up their barred door, and the tribe stomped in, more than ready to tear up throats and bellies. Charge and Longfang were practically trampled on, Talon tried to flee and now had Heatwave and Longleap after her. Sundown, Flare, and Sharpclaw, aided by Snarl, had set out after Slither and Sharpclaw's sparkling.

Swoop gripped Grimlock tight while the battle raged on in the background, and he shuddered from the contact - so wonderful, warm and complete. A moment like this was worth all the trouble.

The Dinobot leader's growls devolved to deep purrs which vibrated their chests together as he slowly realized just who he was with now. He had no idea what happened, but he was not about to complain, and he writhed underneath Swoop, the emptiness of his valve suddenly far less important than the feeling of locking sparks and sharing so much with his healer. He only wished it could last longer - his body was too sensitive and heated to take much more, and after only another moment, he arched underneath Swoop and roared his release.

Swoop cried out with him, his voice higher in pitch, and the sound more bird-like than what a giant lizard would produce. He barely registered the plasma shot, which missed them by half of an inch only. He shuddered with the sparklock and crooned softly as the light-tendrils withdrew. "Y-you Grimlock... okay...?" he forced out, glancing back over his shoulder and letting his vents huff with a relived sigh as he saw the Predacon downed - still moving, but the three mechs were busily tearing his armor open.

Coherency slowly returned, and Grimlock could finally see Swoop's face which he reached up to touch with trembling fingers. "M-Me Grimlock okay," he answered weakly. It was a great struggle to stay online, his body desperate for rest, but he managed to fight off the urge as his chest and panel both closed once more though he was too tired to sit up just yet. "Where Predacon?" he managed to ask before he turned his head to search for himself.

"Being eaten by 'useless' Dinobots and breeders," Swoop cackled maliciously. He noticed the shimmer of energon in the box near the bed and curiously fished for a cube. The others told him how to recognize the tainted ones, and his healer scanners aided him well. The one he took was clean, and he passed it to Grimlock. He needed his strength back. And some serious scolding later.

To his credit, Grimlock actually hesitated at this cube, remembering what happened just a few moments ago when he last ate. With that in mind, he gave Swoop a doubtful look and reluctantly admitted, "Him Predacon make it act funny - this one safe?"

"Yes, safe." The young healer nodded and took a sip from it to prove his point. Then, he curled up next to Grimlock and watched with a satisfied smile as Slag, in his beast-form, was licking up the spilled fluids. Thunderclap, the mighty Predacon lord was dead.

Sludge was still idly nibbling on the exposed circuitry, and Steadfast watched them from a safe distance. "This is so... Ugh.." Steadfast glanced at Swoop. "They are good warriors, but their manners... It makes my fuel tank churn." 

"Eat or get eaten," the healer recited the old law of the jungle, and the Maximal shrugged - life was hard; he knew and admitted that.

As soon as he was assured the energon was safe, Grimlock practically attacked it, pressing the cube tightly to his mask and eating eagerly. He was hungry before, and he felt as if he was starving now after so much exertion. He did not cease until the cube was nearly empty when he finally pulled it away and glanced over at his pack members to watch them chew on Thunderclap's corpse. 

"Maximals too soft," he stated simply then turned his attention to finishing off his cube.

"Haven't seen you fighting, big leader." Steadfast grinned maliciously then scurried off outside - he didn't fancy to go against the Dinobot when he nearly depleted his reserves in the battle with the Predacon. 

Swoop rubbed his head against Grimlock's shoulders to distract him in case he wanted to go after the Maximal and ran a quick scan on him to make sure there was no heir developing in his body. His healer scanners caught the faint signals of a spark but nothing like the rapid flashing of the working nanites. Well, at least they were over with their first sparkbonding even if it didn't result in an offspring. Swoop didn't really mind. It was nearly impossible to imagine Grimlock being careful enough when carrying.

Had he not been so exhausted, Grimlock most certainly would have gone after the Maximal for that insult, but the Dinobot leader just knew he would fall flat on his face if he tried to run after him in his condition, so that thought, combined with Swoop's soothing nuzzles, kept him seated. Instead, he focused his attention on his healer and returned the affection, smoothing his mask over Swoop's crest.

"You Swoop okay?" he asked more to reassure himself than for any other reason. It seemed as if Swoop had been missing forever even though it was only just over a day.

"Yeah." The flier nearly purred, and tilted his head to kiss the dark facemask. "Me Swoop fine... You Grimlock fine too. Predacon's dead and tribe is well. Us will be fine from now on."

Grimlock rumbled in his chest as he nuzzled his mask to Swoop's face. Everything was right in his world until he realized something, and his gaze dropped down almost in shame as he lowered his voice for only Swoop to hear. "Me Grimlock said would keep you Swoop and pack safe," he hesitantly admitted. "Grimlock broke promise."

The healer shook his head. "Me Swoop fell for Call. You Grimlock can't prevent that, nobody can prevent that. You Grimlock came for Swoop alone, did brave chief-thing. You Grimlock not need to apologize." He poked the other's chest though. "Well, maybe for drinking bad energon. Us told you Grimlock not to..."

The larger Dinobot truly did look ashamed once confronted with that fact. He knew they warned him, but he was so hungry at the time he could not help himself. "Me Grimlock was hungry," he said in his defense. "Not see anything wrong with it. Thought it okay and needed to eat to fight." So much for that.

It was pointless to argue; from his point of view, Grimlock was perfectly right. Swoop didn't comment anymore and instead turned his attention toward the door where Snarl entered.

"White mech got away," the Cubemaker said, looking a bit annoyed by the fact. "Him fast. Tail got trampled on though. Might not go on for long."

Swoop doubted that - Slither could surely fix himself. But main thing was he had been driven away. "Us should go," he declared. "Place gives me Swoop chills. Us go outside and wait for others to return."

Grimlock nodded in agreement and finally pushed himself to his feet, taking a few careful steps to make sure his weakened knees would support him before he made his way over to Sludge and huffed. "Me Grimlock told you Sludge stay if Grimlock not come back," he chided the slightly larger Dinobot though his tone was light. He should have known even the loyal Sludge would not obey an order like that, and Grimlock was immensely glad for the disobedience this time.

"You Grimlock said if you not back until sun-up, me Sludge chief," the young warrior replied. "Me Sludge ordered tribe to search for missing members. Us followed you Grimlock's scent to Predacon lair." He shifted back to his original form and promptly attached his taller self to Grimlock. "Me Sludge very-very worried!" he wailed, nuzzling the young leader. "Me Sludge glad you Grimlock back!"

Grimlock had to admit Sludge had a point, and he also had to admit he was surprised the somewhat dimmer Dinobot had been able to find such a loophole in his orders. Still, he could not complain and eagerly returned the nuzzling with a deep purr, very happy his pack was whole again. "Him Slag not make trouble?" he asked with a glance in the youngest's direction. He had no doubt Slag was the least enthusiastic about the search.

Surprisingly, Snarl suddenly turned away and began to make some funny sounds, as if he had been trying to muffle a giggle. Sludge shook his head, seemingly unaware of the display. "Nuh-uh. Him Slag came without hissing."

Slag's faceplates were heating up. "Him stupid Sludge was crying; me Sludge got angry!" he claimed grumpily. "So me Slag had to come... others not have much chance alone anyway!"

"That enough," Grimlock huffed. He should not have expected any different - not from Slag. The young Dinobot would sooner be fed his own tail than admit to having any sort of conscience. "Us go home now. Rest up." He was quite sure they all needed it after the last two days though he hesitated long enough to look down at Thunderclap's body then glance go Swoop. "Take pieces - whatever us might need." After all, there was no sense in wasting perfectly good parts if Slag and Sludge had not already chewed them all up.

Swoop nodded and tapped at Grimlock's shoulder. "You could look around - place safe now; no Predacons. Gather cubes and what seems to be weapon! Other breeders sure want to leave; them will need things for journey." With that, he kneeled down next to the lifeless body and began to work.

Grimlock nodded to Swoop then turned to his other pack members to issue his orders, "You Sludge and you Snarl come with Grimlock - Snarl see what cubes are safe and Sludge carry things. You Slag stay and help him Swoop. Us all meet outside." He did not leave any room for the argument he was quite sure would brew if he wasted time, so as soon as his orders were issued, Grimlock started out with Snarl and Sludge.

The next cycle was spent with work - storages were raided and the former breeders gathered as well, checking cubes and explaining weaponry for each other. Sharpclaw found his sparkling, and he pulled back into a comfortable corner to marvel at it along with Flare. Heatwave and Longleap brought Talon's weapons back - they left the corpse where it fell.

Most of the former captives wanted to leave for good. Swoop said farewell to all of them, hugging Pathway and wishing him luck. Heatwave and Sundown teamed up to find the latter's pack, while Sharpclaw stuck to Flare, saying his own pack is impossible to find anyway. Steadfast and Longleap were well off on their own. There was only one thing Swoop regretted – Slither, as much a disgusting creature he was, apparently was a master healer, far more learned than the young Dinobot. The thought that the 'laboratory' with so much knowledge sealed inside would be left to rot and rust away made his insides itch. But, he couldn't do much – he didn't dare hope to understand what the ancients left behind on his own. He planned to return later and raid the supplies for the benefit of the tribe, but that was all.

He finally stepped to Sundown and took her hands. "You Sundown take good care of heir," he said solemnly. "If you Sundown don't want heir, bring it to tribe, but don't kill it, promise?" "Of course!" Sundown hugged the Dinobot. "I'll let him see the sunlight, I'll bring him up, and I'll tell him about his creator." She smiled. "You know, Swoop, you're quite an incredible mech… for a Dinobot."

"And you Sundown are a lovely femme… for a Maximal." Swoop returned the grin.

Grimlock watched the exchange with mixed emotions as he and Sludge waited for Swoop to finish his farewells so they could return to their cliffs, having sent Snarl and Slag ahead and trusted that Snarl would keep Slag properly in line without Grimlock's presence. Had Sundown been a Dinobot, he would have insisted she come with them so he could ensure the safety of Swoop's heir, but the fact that she was a Maximal complicated things more than he wanted to dwell upon. Still, it was quite a loss - the first heir spawned under his reign as tribe leader, and not only could they not keep and help raise it, it was it not his, and he was still not quite sure what to think of that.

Eventually though, Swoop returned with a smile. He patted Sludge's shoulder who was carrying a large metal crate with a few things they gathered for themselves from the lair, then turned to Grimlock. "Us go now? Chief will lead us home?"

The Dinobot leader tore himself from his thoughts when he was addressed, and he nodded quietly to Swoop as he answered, "Us go home now." He gave the lair and the departing Maximals one last glance before he turned to lead the way back to their home.


	10. Troubles and Secrets part 1

Several moons passed since the episode with the Predacons. The memories were fading, reduced to nothing but unimportant images from the past; the young Dinobots calmed down after the scare and they retained their usual routine and peaceful life.

It was a nice night with the sea roaring outside like usual. In the middle, the fire was burning, and the Dinobots occupied themselves with their usual tasks before recharge - Slag was chewing on energon candy, Snarl was tinkering with something, maybe a rope, Sludge was gazing at the flickering flames almost mesmerized, and Grimlock was grooming his armor, scraping dirt from the tiny gaps. Swoop loved these evenings; the only thing better was when Snarl sung or recited a tale from the past. Since his creator was the tribe's tale-keeper, Snarl turned out to be the same for the new pack.

Lazily, Swoop switched on his scanners, training it on the others. They were fine, all of them, healthy and- what? Swoop's blue optics widened then he grinned and rose to his feet, reaching out for Snarl. "You Snarl come with me Swoop; need to talk outside a bit."

Snarl looked up slowly and let out an annoyed huff. He had just finally figured out how to make a good knot with the rope he was using to occupy himself, and now he was being interrupted? How typical. Still, he knew better than to argue - Swoop could be nearly as annoying as Grimlock when he was defied, so with another indignant huff, Snarl stood to follow the tribe healer outside. "What you want?"

"Me Swoop caught signals," the flier said, patting Snarl's arm. "You Snarl will soon Call for first time. Signals faint just now, but two or three sun-ups, and tribe will be all hot and restless." He chuckled and stepped a little closer, expression turning a bit more serious. "But me Swoop remembered something. You Snarl will Call as you Snarl grown-up mech now... And still..." He tilted his head to the side, "Me Swoop not remember seeing you Snarl's panel break. You Snarl younger than Grimlock... Should have gotten panel broken after him."

Snarl's expression contorted slightly in a faint scowl before he turned and immediately started back into the cave and away from Swoop, replying with only, "Me Snarl's panel broken. It not problem."

Oops. Swoop let out a startled click and grabbed after the younger mech. "Me Swoop sorry if said something bad...! Just... Me Swoop came to Landslide's tribe later; not know about stories." His voice carried genuine concern. "You Snarl want to talk, me Swoop always listen. Me Swoop like you Snarl for knowledge and calmness and kindness. Me Swoop healer - worried for bodies and minds, too."

In many ways, it was a very good thing Snarl was so difficult to anger and upset. It enabled him to truly sit still and think through his reactions and responses the first time rather than acting on impulse. Had he been Slag or Grimlock, he was quite sure he might have shoved Swoop away at that point, but thankfully, he was not, and when the older Dinobot grabbed his arm, Snarl actually stopped and considered if he wanted to answer with nothing more hostile than a faint whirr at the back of his throat.

Finally, after a brief moment, he answered vaguely, "Me Snarl's panel broke long time ago. Still young." Frankly, that was all he really thought Swoop had business knowing, and with that, he tried to go back into the cave again.

The healer let him. He was curious about the details, but if the other's panel was broken before its time, then it was surely not a nice experience. Either he had been violated by another or they broke it because there was some malfunction... Neither was a pleasant option. Swoop merely hoped Snarl was as well as he claimed; while Calling, in the throes of passion, his well would see some slight abuse, especially if Slag-

Swoop abruptly stopped, leaned against the rocks, and tapped at his chin. Slag was even younger than Snarl; he wasn't even finished with his growing process when they left... Which meant his panel had to be still intact. And some other oddities seeped forth from the healer's memories. Slag tensing when the topic 'mating' came up, his vents cycling faster when Grimlock claimed Sludge back then - he was even missing from the ritual when the young leader's panels were opened.

The slender flier shook his head. Something was definitely not alright... Great Primus, this tribe was a difficult one.

Snarl returned to his rope without another word, pleased Swoop seemed to drop the subject. He made himself comfortable next to Slag and resumed where he left off, annoyed that he had forgotten the exact steps he took to achieve the good knot in the rope now. Setbacks or not though, he was eager to try again - maybe he could figure out an even better one. Snarl was nothing if not easy to please.

Grimlock was less so, totally oblivious - he had found a fairly sharp edge of rock in the wall of the cavern and was currently digging the back of one shoulder into it in a desperate attempt to get at an itch which had been tormenting him the better part of the day.

Swoop sort of hoped maybe Grimlock would come out and ask what happened, but he wasn't really surprised when it didn't happen. The great leader could be painfully oblivious when it came to certain things. He was not stupid - none of them were - just... lacking in the common sense department. Finally, the healer went back as well. It was time to recharge. He knew he'd have to deal with Slag later, but there was no way he could confront him head-on. He just had to wait for a little bit... Until the Cubemaker released the Call.

And after that, maybe he would see to the other matter... After all, chiefs kept mates. And Grimlock still didn't have any.

"You Grimlock be quiet - hurt me Snarl's head," Snarl grumbled as he tried to concentrate on his rope despite the grunts and growls erupting from the leader's vocalizer. Grimlock only gave him an annoyed growl of his own and continued to try desperately to alleviate his itch. Finally, after another several moments, Grimlock let out a relieved purr that shook the loose pebbles in the cavern and dimmed his visor in utter bliss.

Seriously, Swoop sometimes just wanted to bash his head into a rock, when faced with some of the tribe members' usual behavior. Oceanborn was a delicate femme; her speech was a little bit more flowing than the rest of those the healer knew. Aside... the Maximals and Predacons, of course. Sometimes, he thought back to that adventure with the breeders locked up in the ancients' place, the lord and his heirs, and Slither... Slither was different, so very different. Evil and twisted, yes, but he was smart, and he had knowledge. On dark nights, Swoop wished if only he could somehow... learn from him. It was a dangerous thought, and it brought guilt, but still... It was a fond dream of his.

Swoop settled down next to Grimlock and nuzzled his shoulder. "Time getting late, us should recharge."

"Me Grimlock not tired!" Grimlock, predictably, protested as he did so almost every night, and it was true - now that they had settled so comfortably into their peaceful lifestile, he hardly burned his excess energy and often recharged restlessly. Snarl did not bother protesting - he was bored save for playing with his rope anyway, so he set the rope aside and stood obediently to go to his own area of the cavern.

Sludge was almost in recharge, so he followed the other's example and slouched back into his respective corner. He had burned enough energy in the water today, chasing big fishes.

"You Grimlock never tired," Swoop cooed, shamelessly flattering the Chief. "You Grimlock big and strong. Can Swoop ask something from you Grimlock?" He leaned closer to the dark audios. "Something... dangerous?"

That got Grimlock's attention. "Dangerous?" he asked, puffing up a little proudly. Of course Swoop could ask him about something dangerous - it was his job to protect his tribe, and he never tired of hearing how much Swoop trusted him to fulfill that obligation.

The healer practically draped himself over Grimlock, and it didn't escape him how Slag stirred and quickly disappeared into the darkness of the cave's deeper parts. However, Swoop kept his attention on the Chief. "Can Swoop recharge with you Grimlock?" he asked, slipping a hand around the other's waist. "Tribe need not hear plan."

Grimlock tilted his head to one side, confused, but he nodded and pushed himself to his feet to retreat to his own little corner of their cavern. As the leader, he had the luxury of having just a little more privacy than the others and had a small alcove carved out of the back of the cavern, just roomy enough to accommodate himself and Swoop comfortably.

Swoop loved to curl up in there, tight against Grimlock's warm frame; that's what he did now. He leaned closer to the other's audios, and, using his sweetest tone, he began to whisper. "Me Swoop would like you Grimlock to escort Swoop back to Predacon lair. Me Swoop would like to take a look... perhaps find stuff. Will you Grimlock come...?"

Grimlock would have frowned if he had a mouth, and to make up for the lack of one, his purr devolved into a confused and worried growl as he looked over at Swoop. "Why go?" he questioned suspiciously. "Us not need stuff - him Slag all grown up." Grimlock preferred to stay as far away from the Predacons' lair as possible. He knew it was empty now, but he still hated it and hated the memories associated with it, so he was less than enthusiastic to return without very good reason.

"Yeees, but it might have healer stuff for me Swoop to care for tribe better," the flier reasoned. "And us could make sure lair empty. Predacons coming back not good thing, yes? Us keep optic on place. Just for one day...?" He began to stroke Grimlock's abdomen where his plating was a bit thinner. "What you Grimlock want in exchange...? Me Swoop ready to give anything."

"Rrrrrr..." Grimlock continued to growl softly as he thought about Swoop's proposal, shifting his gaze away from the healer for a moment. He did not like it, but Swoop did make a good point. Should any of them ever need extensive repairs, they were sorely lacking materials and tools for that. With a sigh of defeat, Grimlock looked back to Swoop and nodded. "Me Grimlock will go...but if Grimlock not think it safe there, us leave."

"Me Swoop trust you Grimlock," the healer cooed softly, knowing well how much the Chief liked when somebody was murmuring into his audios. "You Grimlock always keep me Swoop safe and well, and happy..." He hesitated before he changed the subject. "Him Snarl will Call soon," Swoop said, keeping his voice down. He was curious about the leader's reaction.

Grimlock almost did not hear the second statement, too caught up in the wonderful feeling of Swoop crooning into his audio receptors. He loved that and made no secret of it - it did not matter which of his tribe members did it, he enjoyed it immensely regardless. When Swoop's second statement registered, however, Grimlock's purr cut off abruptly, and his visor came back online and flickered a few times. That was random.

"Him Snarl younger than me Grimlock," he rumbled, thinking aloud. While not the brightest of the group though, it did not take him long to come to the same realization Swoop had earlier. "Him Landslide not break him Snarl's panel before us left - should Grimlock?"

"Nonono-" Swoop's hand pressed down firmer as if afraid that Grimlock would just get up and handle the matter right away. "Me Swoop talked to him Snarl - said panel already broken. Him Snarl not look happy when asked... You Grimlock Chief's heir, if you not know, not many were allowed to know. Maybe panel had to be broken... or maybe, somebody just..." He fell silent. While mating itself was not regarded as a secret, something only meant for the partners - after all, rituals involved mating before the public at times - the lock-breaking carried significance. It signaled the beginning of adulthood, and it was only right to celebrate it, and do it the proper way. And violation not just rid a youngster of a very important celebration, but it involved much pain and fear too.

"Him Snarl said not to worry... Swoop trust him Snarl. Always reasonable and honest."

Grimlock growled a little lower in his chest, but he nodded in agreement. He supposed if his panel locks had been broken before the coming of age ceremony, he would not appreciate discussing it either. "What about him Slag?" he asked instead. "His not broken either." While Slag was the youngest of all of them and, therefore, not going to send out his first Call for quite a while yet, Grimlock thought it was an important matter to discuss. His would need to be broken someday, and as the leader, Grimlock would have to be the one to do it.

"Yes, but... you Grimlock not notice something... weird about him Slag? That night you Grimlock claimed him Sludge, him Slag was all noisy, vents roaring. Him Slag always tenses when me Swoop pulls closer to you Grimlock, and he was not there at all, when him Landslide broke you Grimlock's locks! Me Swoop think us should ask Sludge. Them brothers - him Sludge surely knows."

"Maybe him just embarrass easy?" Grimlock offered though that thought was unusual even if it was not unheard of, and even those who were easily embarrassed stayed for the coming of age ceremonies - it was tradition, and the entire tribe was present for such an important event. The fact that Slag was gone for the whole ceremony was definitely unusual. "Us ask him Sludge later."

"Mm." Swoop nodded and snuggled even closer. "Tribe needs to be well. Him Slag will get panel locks broken..." He smiled. "You Grimlock real chief; can do that fine. Me Swoop want to see you Grimlock dancing. You Grimlock pretty when dancing." Yes, he was spoiling the chief. And he loved to do it.

The Dinobot leader's purr resumed as he rested his hand against Swoop's back. He never tired of Swoop's compliments, and it helped that they came so easily from the smaller Dinobot with little to no prompting. "You Swoop pretty dancing too," Grimlock purred, his hand trailing down from the healer's back and over his hips. He loved watching Swoop dance - he could not take his visor off of the slender Dinobot's lithe body.

The flier giggled and stretched a bit under those strong hands. Compliments weren't lost on him, either. "Us will dance when him Slag's panels break," he promised. "And me Swoop would like to know... If him Snarl Calls, would you Grimlock have heirs with him...?"

Grimlock did not even have to think about the answer to that. "No," he answered immediately. "Him Snarl good Dinobot, but me Grimlock not want first heir to be with him." It was not that he had anything against the Cubemaker - far from it. However, Grimlock had always preferred the thought of having his first heir with Swoop or Sludge. They were, by far, his favorites in his small tribe.

It was a relief to hear to a degree; after all, instincts usually commanded the sire to take care of the bearer, and Swoop was not too keen on losing Grimlock's attention. "Me Swoop see. Then, maybe later... Hmm, you Grimlock chief, but... chiefs have mates. Him Landslide claimed her Oceanborn when us came to tribe. Have you Grimlock thought about claiming mate as well?" It was time for a tactical attack. "Maybe him Sludge?"

Grimlock had to wonder why Swoop was suddenly so focused on this subject, but he saw no harm in answering. "Me Grimlock like him Sludge," he admitted with all honesty. "But me Grimlock like you Swoop too. Not decided yet."

_What_? Swoop barely kept himself from tensing up and hissing in anger. Okay, okay, he loved Sludge, too; he was kind and so very nice, the complete opposite of his brother... But, him as Grimlock's mate! Please! Swoop had his optics on the chief's heir since the day he and his bearer were brought to Landslide, and he was not about to give up his desired position without a fight! Well, there would be plenty occasions to charm Grimlock away... And Swoop was a patient mech.

"No need hurrying..." he whispered with a smile, pressing a gentle kiss against the young leader's facemask. "Plenty of time ahead. Us should recharge now then decide on trip at sun-up."

Grimlock sighed melodramatically but conceded defeat. He was still not tired, but he knew he needed to recharge nonetheless and would only disturb everyone else's rest if he refused, so he settled further into his comfy alcove and wrapped both arms around Swoop to let the soft sound of the smaller Dinobot's systems lull him into recharge.


End file.
